Sacrifice Thyself to the Lamb, So Others May Rise
by anonymous-unknown
Summary: Sequel to "When Our Prayers Go Unanswered". Sam, Dean, Cas and Bobby find out what happens when an angel sacrifices their grace for another, and the consequences that come along with it. No pairings or slash. OC-centric. Full summary inside. PART II of IV.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: **AU set in pre-season 6 where Sam still has his soul, Dean still lives the life of a hunter and Cas is still cut off from the Host but not from Heaven. So, this story is really just a filler type deal for me for the original fictional character of Isabelle Cartwright. I only expect it to be about 11 or so chapters long, but will include plenty of action packed adventure. 8D I just wanted to explore her a little bit before giving her the usual Supernatural female character tribute (we all know what that is), and moving onto the real plot of the story in the next part of this verse. If you haven't read "When Our Prayers Go Unanswered", then I suggest you do so that you are not completely lost while reading this story. (I only just realized that I am using this verse as an alternate for season 6 since I am still reeling from the finale, ugh.) This would have been posted up sooner but I unexpectedly found myself immersed in another project and couldn't seem to part from it until now so, please forgive me for my way too long absence. This is what happens when I end up creating another verse and I haven't even finished with this one yet. Vampireluvr15 knows what I'm talking about since I blame her, lol. Also found myself delaying since apparently my brain has been making me come out with random one shot ideas for my other story "The Walls That Hold Can Set Us Free", since I still can't seem to get the season finale out of my head and am already working on two more chapters to add to it. Again, so sorry for the delay. Nice to see you all back again, as well as any newcomers. Now, onto the story! 8)

**Written:** 6 March

**Soundtrack: **The Beautiful Ones by Poets of the Fall

**Word Count: **7100+

**Category: **Dean W./Castiel

**Content:** NO SLASH. (God knows I read it though…and now apparently write it.) Violence and adult language. (Just warning those in advance who wish not to read such material.)

**Disclaimer: **Obviously, I do not possess any legal rights to anything to do with this series especially its characters. I'm sure we are all aware of that but this fact must always be noted due to this websites guidelines.

**Genres:** Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Tragedy, Angst, Family, Mystery, Suspense, Action/Adventure, Spiritual, Humor

**Characters:** Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Bobby Singer, Gabriel, Michael, Raphael

**Fictional Characters:** Isabelle Cartwright/Elizael

**Rating:** T

ooo

**Title:** Sacrifice Thyself to the Lamb, So That Others May Rise

**Author: **anonymous-unknown

**Summary:** Follow up to When Prayers Go Unanswered. Castiel was given back to him practically from the dead and from the most unlikely source but he didn't care, he'd take it. Dean wasn't going to complain and sure as hell wasn't going to allow Cas to feel sorry, guilty and ashamed. They had been given a true miracle, one without strings attached for once…attached to them anyway. PART II of IV.

_"Sacrifice still exists everywhere, and everywhere the elect of each generation suffers for the salvation of the rest."_

Henri Frederic Amiel (1821-1881)

**Chapter 1**

Sometimes giving up something that is important to us is necessary. Hell, Dean was an expert at that subject. It seemed as if he had been doing that his entire life. How could it be any different? Well, this was, _for once_. It had been a few weeks since Cas' miraculous (sure, I'll go ahead and say it again, _miraculous_) revival and Dean wasn't reeling from it. He felt happiness well up inside of him that he couldn't remember ever experiencing in a really long time. He had almost lost his best friend, his angel, his last support, but someone up there managed to change their minds.

_Elizael_ had changed her mind.

_Shit._ He had to admit it. He did _not_ see that one coming. Not by a long shot.

"Hey Dean."

A calm voice broke him out of his thoughts and he looked back to see Sam calling out to him from Bobby's front porch. It was at that moment that the elder hunter noticed the stars starting to show up across the sky and realization dawned on him. He had been out here a while if he hadn't even noticed that the sun had already set.

_Damn, did I let himself drift off again_?

No doubt Sam had noticed. He was always pointing it out to him lately. It wasn't his fault though; he couldn't help himself from falling into one of his little inner thought trances that kept him occupied for hours on end, and not even realizing it. It really was starting to trouble both he, and his brother.

"You dozed off again?"

_Here we go_.

Sam had been noticing that Dean's head had been in the clouds _a lot_ lately. No doubt where. Sam just let it go, _again_, and walked up to the Impala to where Dean now stood. Didn't mean he wasn't still going to try and figure out what was going on in that noggin of his though. He was the only other person besides Cas that knew him best. Probably more so than himself.

"I didn't doze off." Dean replied, lifting himself up from the hood and looking back at his sasquatch of a brother. "I was just thinking."

"Well at least you're willing to admit it this time. I was getting tired of the 'just taking a nap' crap."

"Yeah, yeah." Dean lifted the half empty bottle of beer to his lips and drank. He hadn't even realized that he had left it just sitting there for hours, without even a thought. He _must_ have been out of it, more so than the usual if he forgot all about his drink.

"Still thinking about Cas?"

Sam wasn't even going to ease into the conversation, Dean thought. _Great_.

"No. I've got other things on my mind you know." Dean replied flat out. He wasn't falling into this one. Sam's interrogations were getting weary lately and he just didn't have the patience to be head shrunk right now. No matter how easily Sam was able to read him, Dean always did have his ways of converting conversations like this into opposite directions. He just hoped that he could do the same thing here, as he had been doing for weeks already. He was just really getting tired of it all.

"I know, I know but it's been a while since we've seen him. I'm sure you're wondering where the heck he's at."

"Well he's got his own shit to deal with up in Heaven now that they've got civil war going on so, I don't expect him to be around a lot."

"Still, I'm sure you'd like him to pop in once in a while to let us know that he's at least alive."

_Ain't that the truth._

"Do you want me to call him?" Dean said while pouting his lips at him. Now the teasing was going to start. _Anything_ to get him off his ass.

"What?" _Damn it, you stupid son of a─_. "No. I was just saying─"

"Do you miss him?" Dean pouted his lips again as if imitating his little brothers sad expression. That should be enough to annoy him.

Sam only managed to return a bitch face, irritated at how Dean never liked to confront his issues. Whether through faces or through fists, emotions were completely alien to him when he didn't feel like sharing.

"You're a dick you know that."

Dean just chuckled as he went back to looking towards the sky. Even behind it Sam could tell that he was worried. It had been a while since they had heard from the angel and not that it wasn't unusual, it was just unsettling. The latest news they had been hearing had been good, victories for Cas' side while Raphael's were losing more and more ground. Now that Cas had a shiny new set of wings, it seemed as if things had finally turned around for him and his cause. To stop the apocalypse from coming back. To stop Raphael from eradicating them all. To stop Hell on Earth. Any victory, no matter how small it seemed, looked gargantuan in their eyes. And they couldn't help but feel grateful everyday for it. Just to have another day.

Dean let his laughing settle down and took another sip from the bottle. "I'm just yankin' your chain."

"I know Dean." Sam paused, sighing before he finally looked at Dean with a serious expression, as if to tell him that he wasn't going to quit until he finally broke. "When are you going to stop fooling yourself though?"

Dean didn't even dignify that with a response, really trying to avoid it all right now and let his expression go hard, looking at his little brother as if he had the answer. He finally let himself huff out a sigh before his focus went down to his fingers still holding the now nearly empty bottle.

"Fooling myself about what?"

"About what happened." Sam replied in his typical 'ain't that shit obvious' sort of tone. "Dean, we nearly lost Cas and you were this close to selling your soul to bring him back." Sam snapped softly, bridging his thumb and forefinger to prove a point. "You were this close to making the same mistake when you brought me back. Haven't you learned anything?"

"What's your point?"

"My point is that you can't be pulling stupid crap like that again Dean!" Sam snapped this time, his memories from that day coming back to him at that moment. "Cas pulled you out of Hell and you're willing to go back to it? To be a hellhounds chew toy again and Alistair's favorite pawn?"

"Believe me Sammy that's the last place I want to go back to." Dean answered quickly, a small chuckle trailing at the end of his words.

He knew it, so did Sam, that that small laugh was only to hide the real emotion he wanted to shout out at the memory of breaking the first seal and starting the apocalypse that seemed like such a lifetime ago. In Dean's eyes, it still wasn't long enough. Memories still fresh in his brain. To Sam, he wished it was that long considering he ultimately caused it to actually push forward and happen. Needless to say, he still carried that guilt around with him.

Before Sam could stop feeling sorry for himself and snap back at him, he noticed a small glint of fear in Dean's eyes, the terror he faced in the Pit coming back to him in that very instant. Sam thought at first that maybe Dean would let out some of that still buried dread, but to not shock to him, he didn't. The look in his eyes quickly changed as he noticed Sam staring. Just like that, Dean's emotional wall had slammed itself back up again.

"Okay. Okay I get it." Sam let out a soft sigh and tried to find the right words to say so as not to upset him or increase the tension already choking both of them half to death. This was the farthest that this conversation had gone, and he wasn't going to let it slip by losing his temper. "I was scared too Dean."

He looked up and was met with his brother's eyes, as if he was mentally telling him that he didn't know a damn thing about fear. _Go to Hell, that'll show what fear's _really_ all about._

Sam saw that message loud and clear, even if he didn't want to.

"Really, I was. I know that you would be willing to do anything to save him or me or Bobby, any one of us. But you need to stop all this." Sam knew that there was no convincing him, knowing that he was too damn righteous for his own good, but at least he could have the will to show him that it was alright to feel lonely and afraid. He didn't need to hide it. "The world doesn't have to be on your shoulders all the time."

Dean just looked at him, staring him down as if trying to size up his brother whom he knew could read him far too easily. Only because he let him.

"It kind of already is." _Tell that to the guy upstairs, or wherever the **heck** he is._

"But you're not alone. I've told you that." Sam replied, still a little saddened at his brothers constant need to want to save everyone. It had always led to the biggest of sacrifices, and even with all of that he was still willing to push himself to the edge to gain victory. Even if it cost him everything.

Dean only scoffed. _What the Hell did he know about sacrifice? About giving everything up?_ _In truth_, he suddenly realized, _Sam did know a lot_. More so than he thought. He had lost him when he went to Hell, and Dad, Mom, and even Jess. So sure, Sam did know a little about giving up something for the life they now had, for their lifestyles. Still, it's not like it made anything any easier, now did it?

Sam wasn't going to argue. He could see, Dean already knew.

"Look," he sighed again, still trying to control the bubble of emotions he could feel welling up. Now was his turn to look the other way, if only just a little. "I know that you feel like you need to deal with all this crap by yourself, but I'm right here. You have my support, _no matter what_. I don't need to tell you that." Sam stared at him dead in the face, as if trying to prove a point. He _was_ standing there, if that was proof enough. "I just wish you'd trust me a little more."

His last part came out like a whisper, almost as if in shame, and he slowly started to turn around to walk away. Dean just needed a little space, and frankly, he was starting to feel like he could use a little himself.

"I do trust you Sammy." Dean quickly replied, just as Sam was turning to leave. "Really I do. And, I'll…I'll admit it." Dean sighed, not really seeing much other choice as Sam turned back to look at him. _Looks like he wasn't going to lie to himself anymore_. "I _was_ scared. Hell I was fucking _terrified_. It was the day of the deal all over again. It was you dying all over again and knowing that I had a clock running against me." Dean confessed, allowing himself to lower his wall if only just a little. He could grant Sam that much after all this time of simply just trying to help him. "I don't wanna have to make that decision again. I can't."

Sam heard what he couldn't say. _I can't…because I'm scared._ This only caused something inside of Sam to shift, knowing that his brother may have been all high and mighty and the one person you could count on to help you when needed, but was never willing to accept help in return. It wasn't his style, and it wasn't in his nature…to give up.

"You don't have to."

He already knew this, but he just felt, that no matter how many times he would say it, that Dean would never take it as the truth. Another one of his unfortunate drawbacks.

"I just…I don't wanna lose anyone else." Dean lowered his head as if to hide what he truly wanted to say, still trying to keep up what little of his wall that Sam was able to see right through. "That's all. I just can't lose anyone else." Dean's voice had fallen to a whisper, trying to hold back the screams he wanted so desperately to voice and lifted his head to look back at Sam dead in the eye.

And just like that, his wall had now completely built back up, which only had Sam laughing to himself on the inside. He had to admit, it actually made him feel safer when he knew Dean did that, as if not only to secure himself but to protect him as well. It's what he had done practically his whole life it would seem.

"And like I said. You don't have to."

Sam simply smiled at him and started walking back, finding Dean trailing right behind him just a couple seconds later.

Dean would never admit it, but part of him was actually glad that he had made that deal, besides the fact that it brought his brother back was a given of course. He could have enjoyed it better without the trip to Hell sure, but then again. If he had never been sent to the Pit he might never have met Cas. Just knowing that made the sacrifice that he made for Sam seem just a little more worth it. If he had never made the deal he wouldn't have his little brother and he probably wouldn't have his angel either.

The pain it brought was one he always wished he could erase, but even though that was impossible, just knowing that he had the two most important people in his life still, well, Dean couldn't really complain now could he. It may not have erased the ever present ache, but it sure as hell did make him forget it sometimes.

* * *

><p><em>…Meanwhile, on a remote island on the other side of the planet<em>.

Gabriel never did like to keep up with the times when it came to Heaven's ever mounting issues, but little did he know it, his personally designed bit of paradise would very soon coming crashing down…

…

Gabriel simply sat down in a beach chair, breeze blowing through his hair, sand blazing from the sun on his face and admiring the untarnished oceanic view before him. The South China Sea was so beautiful this time of year, and after the events of the past few months the archangel figured that he deserved if not a little bit of a vacation. Oddly enough though, no matter how hard he tried to relax his brain always came back to the same night. The same conversation. That same scary moment and that same stupid, sasquatch hunter. To that stupid not distant enough in his mind memory.

_Why the heck did he have to say that_?

Gabriel simply sighed as he rubbed at his temple, watching the small umbrella in his coconut flurry in the wind as the weather started to pick up a little. Even though the sun was shining brightly, Gabriel could feel the start of thunder clouds just miles away behind him, and he felt somewhat relieved that he hadn't forgotten to wear his jacket. Even though an angel didn't technically have issues with the weather, he still never did like it when his clothes got wet, especially his jeans. Wearing a couple layers worth of shirts didn't exactly help either, but for some strange reason he just wasn't feeling the whole swim shorts theme today. It was just one of those half assed lazy afternoons for him. One without cares, without worries, and apparently without the insistent nagging of his personal turmoil's, after centuries of not giving a damn.

_Why did he have to go and tell him **that**_?

Gabriel sighed yet again, his frustration now entirely from himself for not being able to let it go. It's not like he was going to deny it. I mean sure, it was nice for him to say it, (not that he would ever admit it) but still. It's not like he was ever going to use his advice anyway.

But still, Gabriel couldn't get that conversation out of his head, no matter how many distractions he tried to give to it. Nothing worked. Not chocolate, not women, not tricks, nada. It always went back to it, to this. To those few stupid words that have him rethinking so many choices that he had made in the past millennia, and questioning whether he truly did think that there was no one you could truly rely on. Maybe not even yourself.

Castiel was proof of that.

_"You know how I said Cas could always come to us when he needed help?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"You know the same goes for you too right?"_

_Gabriel wanted so badly to say that after living on his own for centuries he was fine, but for some reason, he didn't. "I'll keep that in mind kiddo."_

Gabriel never thought he would be testing that theory, especially so soon.

Gabriel remained lounging around, trying to ease his brain from any and all distractions, but his attempts at pure relaxation were soon interrupted by a sudden feeling in the atmosphere that he quickly picked up on. Something all too familiar that he hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime, but for some strange reason felt a lot different than the last time he sensed it.

He quickly looked up towards the sky, knowing that the feeling he was now getting in his gut told him that this couldn't be good and to stay away…but for reasons beyond his understanding, he found that he couldn't.

_Curiosity killed the cat._

Gabriel quickly disappeared, returning up to Heaven and landing in one of the remote grain fields of his Father's creation.

It was the once forgotten smell that hit him first, causing his heart to flutter just a little faster for that split second.

The scents reminded him of lilac and orchid, the sweet nectar of berries and the dew of a healthy, rising morning. The perfect combination of rosy pink, heavenly gold and sun kissed orange illuminated the sky in a beautiful prism of light, filled to the brim with soft wispy clouds just above which covered the stars still peaking through. The soft breeze that passed felt just as heavenly, wonderful and cool on his skin and refreshing to his Grace. It caused the wheat that grew around him to blow casually, shades and patterns of tawny tans and sunflower yellows creeping through the seeds and seemingly giving them an individual life of their own. It truly did feel peaceful, even if outside the boundaries of its remote piece of paradise, it was anything but.

Gabriel never thought he'd think this, remember it like this, but he actually missed being here. It had been a very long time. It was still home after all, even if it hadn't felt like it in so long.

_And it had been a very, very long time_.

His forlorn thoughts were soon interrupted by a voice behind him, one that felt all too familiar, but also _so_ unlike how he remembered it. It actually caused a cold shiver to travel down his spine, taking away all warmth in his body that he managed to collect.

"Hello brother."

Gabriel slowly turned around, his saddened eyes staring straight back at all too fierce ones, wanting only to run but too late to even try, as he was suddenly engulfed by a bright, burning and unforgiving light.

* * *

><p>When the angel finally did show up, it was for a small break from the war yet again. The last battle had been brutal and merciless, and Castiel found himself having to retreat after the casualty became too much to hold back any longer.<p>

When Dean expected for Cas to drop in to say hello, he didn't actually expect the angel to actually _drop_ in like he did. Before the hunters could even process what the heck had happened and offer to help him, Castiel quickly brushed it off and insisted that he was fine. Truth being told, he really did look alright if not just a little knocked about, not meaning to cause them any worry and quickly collected himself. Castiel recovered a lot faster these days, much like he did before he rebelled and was cut off from the Host (no doubt since getting his new Grace installed) and quickly pushed himself off the floor to join Bobby and the brothers in the study where they were all gathered around for their latest supernatural vendetta.

After making his acquaintances and getting the latest updates on the warfront from Cas, Dean insisted that he drop by more often to say hello, although not literally _drop in_. They had enough scary crap on their plate to worry about to add more to it, crap they didn't really need right now. Cas of course agreed and apologized, thanking the hunters for their concern but that everything with the conflict was turning out as well as expected, considering the circumstances of course.

Even though they did feel incredibly indebted to the angel, they still knew the doubts he held when the enemy he was fighting were his brethren. Brothers and sisters that opposed his idea of defending mankind and siblings whom every day, raised their swords against him in protest and who in return used in defense. It was never easy having to kill ones brothers and sisters, but unfortunately this war had forced him to turn the other cheek at many times. Even if it was for a just cause and the right reasons, it truly never did get any easier.

At least small moments like this could take his mind of the guilt that built in his heart every day, for every life he took and every brethren he betrayed. If even for just a moment, that ache felt like a distant star in the Heaven's that could not touch him when he was in the presence of his charge and his family.

In all honestly, it made him feel safe. Safer than he could remember feeling in the farthest of times.

The brothers were researching on their latest hunt, Bobby getting a call just a few minutes back on some suspected witch problem up in Montana and quickly got to work on it. One thing that Dean hated more anything else supernatural, were witches. Always, _witches_. Which in all honestly, the only blame in that situation always came back to _him_.

While Dean, Cas and Bobby were downstairs in the panic room reading up on more material for the hunt, Sam remained upstairs in the study catching up on their latest break. It turned out that there had indeed been a secret coven in the area of the state sometime in the late 1800's, but had long since been unseen since then. Sam suspected that maybe the members who were left of the cult had gone into hiding, considering the times and the years before it. Witchcraft was still not seen very openly these days, even if it wasn't all bad in Sam's book. Just the experiences that he and Dean had had whenever they were cursed or they pissed off someone they really shouldn't have. Again, it was Dean mostly who got the trouble. Again, entirely his fault.

Sam could only grin at himself, remembering all the times his brother had said something he shouldn't have, done something inappropriate, or just plain acted somewhat carelessly and stupid. His actions always did get him in trouble, even if that was never the intention, and Sam let out a small chuckle at the memories that flowed through him. How his brother always found more than trouble than he, he might just never understand.

His humoring memories were soon interrupted by a rush of wind and a flutter of wings behind him.

Sam quickly went for the angel sword he always hid on himself and turned around, surprise etched all over his face for who he saw standing in the middle of Bobby's living room. It was what _else_ he saw that had him putting his guard down completely, and his concern shooting straight up through his chest.

"Gabriel?"

That one second of silence that passed between them, only made the pressure building in the hunters ears make him go deaf and the shock coursing through him actually register in his brain.

"Hey Sam."

Sam barely managed to hear his whisper past his breathlessness, the archangel bearing the most horrible state he had ever seen him in. Gabriel was struggling to simply just stand, looking deathly pale, weary and bloody all over.

It looked as if he used all his strength just to get here, which in all honesty, was never a good sign.

"Gabriel."

The archangel couldn't hear much more past that, as he felt his balance failing him and his vision going dark along the edges. He wasn't going to stay awake this time, and let himself succumb to the darkness this time without hesitation.

The only thought going through Sam's mind at the moment, this wasn't good.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Sam quickly forced his feet to move, running over to Gabriel before he could completely hit the ground and catching him as he let his knees give way and finally collapse. To say the archangel looked pretty bad off, was putting it in the _nicest_ possible way, the man now being supported by him appearing downright gaunt. "Hey, hey, hey. Gabriel. Gabriel?"

Sam tried getting his attention, tapping at his cheek lightly (the one not completely covered in blood that is) as he carefully lowered him to the floor. In all honestly, the hunter could barely tell where skin lay tattered and damaged, and skin lay untouched and healed over. The archangel had gotten a _beating_, although in earnest, it looked more like someone had tried to kill him with just their bare fists.

Sam saw no immediate evidence of a weapon being used on him, just bruising and blood and cuts to his face, torso and hands, where it looked like he tried to defend himself.

Whatever had happened, it was obvious that someone had been _really_ pissed off.

Gabriel struggled to keep his eyes open, mentally screaming at himself not to pass out as he struggled on concentrating to breathe through the pain, although the act only caused him more than he could handle at the moment. He really didn't want to be looking like a wuss in front of the young man still trying to keep him awake, but there was only so hard he could fight until he finally had to throw in the towel and call it quits. Never his style he supposed, but sometimes there wasn't much choice.

_Don't pass out…don't pass out_. He repeated to himself like a mantra, trying to desperately to keep it to together if not for the sake of his pride. Not that it did any good. _Crap_.

The pain was just too much, and Gabriel mercifully allowed himself to lose consciousness as he continued to hear Sam calling out to him, and then to Dean, Bobby and…_Cas_?

…

He's obviously not out for very long. Just long enough to see himself being carried up a flight of stairs to one of the guest bedrooms like a freakin' bride. _Awkward_. How he _really_ wished he hadn't picked such a short vessel at the moment.

Gabriel slowly shows signs of waking up as Sam lowers him onto a bed, saying something to the other hunters in the room but unable to make out what at the moment. His head is pounding, blood rushing through his ears and causing pressure to build in his brain. He's pretty sure there's some hemorrhaging going on in there somewhere after all the hits he got.

He softly whispers out to Castiel and tries foolishly to prop himself up on his elbows, but Sam and Dean gently push him down, much too easily all four of them notice. What little strength he has is gone, and Gabriel can barely process a coherent thought at the moment. All he wants is to slip into oblivion, and some really strong pain killers.

"Hey, hey, hey, take it easy man." Dean says as he pushes Gabriel by the shoulders back down on the pillow. He couldn't help but notice the stinging look that passed through Gabriel's face as he did, causing more throbbing aches to pass over his already sensitive skin and forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut. Forget vicodin, he thought. He was gonna need the morphine, or the best stuff he could get.

Gabriel's brow knots in pain and when Sam's hand brushes the left side of his torso he flinches, biting his tongue to hold back a scream. The last thing he needs is causing these people to go deaf at the sound of his true voice. _So not ideal right now_.

Sam immediately notices, and carefully lifts up the archangels shirt to see the damage he's sure to find. What he sees, is so much worse than what he expects.

Everyone, even Castiel is left both shocked and mouths gaping, seeing the massively heavy bruising covering Gabriel's entire abdomen which is a mix of blue, purple and even black. The archangels injuries aren't just painful, but possibly life-threatening, and even with the healing capabilities of an angel they certainly aren't going to be easy to fix. If this was what his borrowed form looked like, the brothers could only imagine what his true form was hiding.

"Holy shit." Dean whispered, trying to bite back a gasp as he watches Gabriel's chest pathetically rise and fall, trying desperately to ignore the pain still building in his limbs.

"Who did this to you?" Sam asked, looking over at Gabriel as he stopped carefully trying to find any breaks in the skin that hadn't stopped bleeding. Thankfully for them, it looked like the archangel had already taken care of that, although only to a degree since he still held many more that they hadn't even seen yet.

Gabriel managed to bring out a painful whisper, his breathing still coming out harsh and shallow as he continued trying to fight off the ache still building in limbs.

"Michael always was a dick," he grunts, trying to draw in another painful shuddering breath as he feels one of his vessels ribs slowly popping back into place.

"Michael! Michael did this to you?" Dean was more than just a little surprised at the archangels reply, knowing full well that the last time they had seen him he was when he was falling into the Cage with the Devil. Then again, what else could do this to an archangel and leave him looking like the underdog in the fight. "_Damn_."

"That's impossible." Castiel interrupts, more than just a little surprised at Gabriel's response as he walks closer over to the bed. "He's locked in the Cage with Lucifer. He couldn't possibly─"

"Not anymore." Gabriel whispers as he takes in another breath, the pain obviously building even more with each one he takes. "He's changed." He grunts again as the pain of his injuries starts to aggravate him severely, almost to the point of willingly allowing himself to slip back into unconsciousness just so he can get away from it. He's at the point of desperation, and the brothers know it.

"What about Lucifer?" Dean asks, knowing that the archangel isn't going to be with them much longer as his eyes start to droop.

Gabriel simply shakes his head, unable to do much more than that as his energy looks to be draining again, painful grunts continuing to seep from his chest.

"I'm gonna go get the ice packs." Sam says and quickly heads downstairs with Bobby, who offers to get the whiskey if need be. God knows it took a lot, but the archangel really looked like he could use it.

Castiel remains behind with Dean, who is gently passing his hands through the bruising and blows, searching for any possible broken bones. It's already obvious that there is internal bleeding, and Dean silently prays that the archangel can take care of that without the need of a hospital. To say that Michael did a number on him, is putting it _nicely_. Gabriel continues to flinch through each stroke and painful breath, almost whimpering from the pain but doesn't move away, not having the energy to do so even if he wanted. Dean simply apologizes as he continues being careful, feeling sorry for him and almost protective in the current state that he's in. Dean never thought he'd see the day he felt bad for the Trickster, but he supposed that there was a first time for everything. Gabriel looks over at Cas, who is still taking in the brutality of his injuries and feels his own emotions wanting to boil over.

He's never felt such sorrow build within him before, and have it replaced so quickly by rage.

Dean takes them in as well, knowing that it takes a lot of force and in this case, looks like a lot of anger to beat the crap out of this archangel. Gabriel was one of the toughest sons of bitches up there, but when it came to Michael it appeared as if the younger brother didn't stand a chance, and Dean was looking at that firsthand.

Slight bruising has started to form on the left side of Gabriel's face as well, along with just more under his cut lip where it appears he got a good punch to the jaw. Gabriel meets up with Castiel's eyes, as if mentally telling the younger sibling to stay the Hell away from their older brother, knowing that Castiel is not looking past his anger at the moment.

Castiel does understand however, heaving out a sigh as he puts two fingers to Gabriel's forehead, telling him that the brothers will take care of him.

Castiel was barely holding his own with Raphael. He knew that when it came to Michael of all angels, the thought alone was suicide in its own right to even consider.

Gabriel can only mentally say a "Thank Dad" as he sees his brothers resolution, and Castiel mercifully puts him out.

Knowing that an archangel's injuries can only be healed by another archangel (and he's pretty sure that none are willing to help right now), Dean knows that Cas' healing will have little to no effect here and goes on applying ice packs as Sam arrives with them. Dean is careful not to aggravate Gabriel's injuries and explains to Sam that he's got at least three cracked ribs, which he's sure are already healing. They will have to fix him up the old fashioned way if they want to help, but at least he's not dying on them, not at the moment anyway. Sam grabs the water bottle he brought with him and wets one of the small dish towels that Bobby provided, carefully wiping away the blood from Gabriel's nose, lip and the side of his face. At the same time, he can't help but wonder how the hell his brother could even do this to him.

He was certain the angels had their issues amongst each other, but even this had to be overdoing it.

Cas can only watch as the brothers carefully unbutton Gabriel's shirt, pulling it to the side along with his jacket and finding other smaller injuries throughout his torso and chest, as well as more heavy bruising. The most apparent is a heavy blow right in the center of his chest, where the breastbone meets his abdomen, and the brothers are pretty sure that his Grace has gotten quite the lashing itself. Castiel sees through it clearly, the source keeping the angel alive at the moment dwindling and looking as impressive as a nightlight at the moment.

When Michael meant to bring him down, he meant to bring him down _hard_.

Dean, noticing Cas' eerie silence behind him, mentally reminds himself in the back of his mind to make sure that the angel doesn't go anywhere and do something stupid, much like how he would. _One trait he could have left alone in teaching him_. He even makes sure to voice it, to let him know how serious he is in insisting he stand down.

"I don't need you doing anything stupid. You may have a new set of feathers but that doesn't mean you need to go finding Michael to prove anything to him Cas."

Sam also looks over at Castiel, hoping that he will heed Dean's words and not go off trying to pick a fight. He understands the angels anger, both of them do, but also knows that it's foolish to try and start something that he knows he won't win at. He's barely keeping it together with Raphael, and both men know that he wouldn't stand a chance again Heaven's greatest weapon.

Again, Castiel already knows this.

"Why would I do anything stupid?" he replies, his expression deadpan and unreadable as usual.

"I mean it Cas." These are Dean's only words, his jaw tight and eyes sharp, as if to tell him that not only does he not want him taking the chance, but Gabriel wouldn't either. At least not for his sake.

Castiel simply lowers his stare to the ground, quickly picking it back up to stare at Gabriel as his body starts to tremble. Castiel assumes it to be from the cold compresses now being applied over his skin, but he can also feel that it is from the immense pain still gnawing at his true form and decides to assist in anyway possible.

Knowing just as well as the hunters that his healing will more than likely do very little here, Castiel doubles his efforts and places a hand on Gabriel's forehead as well as his chest. A soft glow starts to emanate from his hands, leaving him a bit weary but otherwise unharmed as he dulls Gabriel's pain as much as he can, and even manages to get most if not all of the internal bleeding to stop. It takes time, much longer than his usual, but at least the archangel finds himself with a much better chance at actually being able to get through it and leaving Castiel a bit more relieved at his likelihood of recovery.

He slowly pulls away and backs up to the wall, allowing his legs to lower him to the ground and sit down as he rests. Dean looks over to him, noticing his complexion growing a little paler and even his face going a little thinner. It's obvious that he applied more effort than he was capable of giving, but Gabriel had done the same for him when he lay dying all those months ago at that hands of their brother, and Dean can understand the feeling of repaying the favor.

Castiel simply takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, letting his head rest against the wall as he starts to recuperate the strength he's lost. There's no question behind it. His brother was very well worth the sacrifice of power, and even if it took more of his borrowed Grace away from him to do it, Castiel was willing to help him in any way he could, simply because Gabriel was willing to do the same.

Hell, Gabriel had done the same. He was only returning the favor, just because they were family, and he did love his brother just as he did him.

It was all up to him now, as well as the Winchester brothers to help the archangel as much as they could. The journey wouldn't be easy, but at least he had them there to guide him.

…

It takes about an hour, but the hunters have finally taped up the ribs and see that Gabriel's healing is already kicking in, the bruises already starting to fade away slowly but surely. Castiel has even already recovered, slipping out of his meditative state and standing beside them as they finished up. After Dean and Sam carefully remove Gabriel's shirts and jacket and cover him up to his chest in the sheets, Sam and Cas kept vigil over him while Dean headed downstairs to update Bobby on the situation. The older man had remained downstairs, already getting calls from other hunters about a rise in activity involving angels and immediately wondering what it all meant.

Calls had always been coming in on his end, especially when the hunting community learned of the revival of all the vessels that had been kidnapped just months before, and had suddenly been brought back and returned to their lives as if nothing had ever happened. Being the one with ties to an angel, of course they turned to Bobby for enlightenment.

As Dean explains to him about Gabriel and Michael, Bobby asks about Adam, and Dean admits that he never got to ask him. Mentally he believes that if Michael is back in Heaven then Adam may be back on Earth, left a drooling lifeless mess that more than likely remembers nothing. He does say however that it's a good bet that Lucifer's dead, Gabriel being proof of what Michael is capable of. It's clear to them now, just how powerful the greatest weapon of Heaven truly is.

* * *

><p>The four of them continue to watch over Gabriel as the archangel sleeps, and the next morning soon find that he has disappeared, without so much as a thank you.<p>

Castiel gratifies the hunters himself, also apologizing for Gabriel's lack in manners and thanking them for their hospitality towards his brother, knowing their shaky past with him before. It's quickly forgotten. They simply take it as the archangel being unable to accept that he has somehow become part of their weird messed up family in some small measure and has yet to grasp on how to take it.

How the hell that happened, Dean can't even figure out, or really care to do so at the moment as he finally lets himself succumb to some sleep.

Little do they know, that Gabriel's sudden absence has a reason behind it.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note: **And I'm back! Woohoo! Please review as reviews make me happy. Also, unlike the first of this verse, anonymous reviews have been enabled so those who do not have an account here can give me their opinions too. I really hope I left you guys at a good enough cliffhanger to last you until next chapter since I do go back to work tomorrow and won't have another day off for 5 days. I'll try to squeeze some writing in but I can't make any promises. I'm trying to shrink chapters with this part since the last piece to this verse may have been a little long for some of you, so I am trying to work on that. Until next chapter. 8)


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Notes: **Sorry to keep doing this to you guys but I experienced another pain in the ass migraine and wound up taking it out on chapter 1 of this story, which caused me to add about another 1500 words to the chapter to leave it at 7100+. If you don't wanna go back and read it I understand, but I just thought that I ought to let you know since my brain always seems to do that to me. Another apology for taking so long to update too. Been way too distracted with my post 6.22 fic "Walls" and now that I've finally decided to finish it _completely_ (I will not add more to it, I won't, I won't, I won't damn it), I can now move on (although I got another idea for a brand new fic related to it afterwards, ugh). I can also blame the season 7 promo that just came out a couple days ago and my obsession with watching it over and over again. Crud. Lol, now onto the story.

**Written:** 01 August

**Soundtrack:** Haunted by Evanescence

**Word Count:** 6400+

**Chapter 2**

It didn't take long for them to hear something about their missing archangel falling from the sky, _literally_.

They _just_ didn't know it yet.

…

Bobby, Sam, Dean and Castiel were holding conversation in the house, pondering where Gabriel had disappeared off to that morning…among other things.

The mid afternoon had been pretty quiet, uneventful really save for Castiel needing to leave just once to tend to Heavenly matters. He was back soon enough however, news of Michael's return and then sudden disappearance reaching ears throughout Heaven, and even now down on Earth rather quickly. The first to learn of this obviously had been them and Bobby's phone had been going off the hook. So much so that he eventually had to disconnect the entire damn system just to get some peace.

_Sometimes he _really_ hated the fact that Dean was the one hunter in the world with an angel perched on his shoulder._

Even with that fact, Bobby still always worried for the boys' safety, and that always included him and Sam and just recently their angel as well.

Bobby always was a pushover when it came to those boys, but damn anyone to Hell who tried to tease him about it. He may not have had any kids of his own, but those three boys were now all he pretty much had these days, along with his book collection and memories of once happy times. Even if the world wasn't like it used to be in his eyes, he always grasped onto the idea of finding peace one day in his soon to be old life. In this one however, all he had to remember was Sam, Dean and Cas, and all his ideas of missing out on something real, were quickly pushed aside.

It was one of the very few things that actually put a real smile on his face. Not that he would ever say it.

It didn't really need to be said anyhow.

Bobby looked on as Sam, Dean and Cas talked in the living room, the older hunter still sitting at his desk as he often was and looking through his books in regards to the latest hunt he had been focusing on. He was in his own world as the boys stayed in theirs.

Both were soon interrupted however, as Castiel suddenly sensed something sharp cut through the air, the angel immediately stopping midsentence and slowly looking out towards the window in the front of the house.

"What is it Cas?"

Dean knew that look on the angels face, the one of mixed surprise and curiosity that said only that Cas didn't like the feeling he was getting. Sam stared at him as well and soon so did Bobby.

"Cas?" Sam got up from the armchair in which he sat on and took a couple steps toward him as Castiel slowly walked over to the window. Sam and Dean merely gave each other looks, as if to ask what the heck was going on and slowly followed him, both brothers shrugging their shoulders as the angel reached for the drapes and pulled them back.

The sky began to darken outside instantly, almost as if the sun was suddenly being swallowed up by the moon and Castiel felt the sensation growing stronger. "Something's happening." He stated simply, a break in the high clouds just miles away from them suddenly spitting something out.

It looked like a comet, a falling star of orange and red hurtling from the sky.

All four men could merely watch as it descended, quickly gaining speed and reaching the earth just seconds after its fall. The moment it hit felt like a break in the wind, the impact of it so strong that it caused the air to push and pulsate as it slammed into the ground.

A wave of unrelenting power burst and cut through the atmosphere, quickly reaching the house and sending all of them flying as the window shattered and the house started to crumble from the force of it. The first wave was quickly followed by another, stronger wave, and then by another, all four men quickly ducking their heads as they were mercilessly covered in glass, dust and debris.

Several cars throughout the yard began to swerve and topple over, causing a mess of rusted metal, gas and grease to splatter throughout the ground. Tires rolled, tools were tossed and anything that wasn't tied down was immediately picked up and flung into the air like a gusting tornado.

The sound they heard just a second after quickly had the hunters clasping down on their ears, the air shattering noise quickly damaging their eardrums. It clearly had no effect on Castiel as he slowly stood up against the now slowly dying wind and looked over towards the source of the blast through the now blown out window. The place where it was located was now covered in a dusty mushroom cloud as the screeching sound quickly died, and the angel curiously looked beyond it, trying to figure out what or _who_ had fallen.

He quickly flew towards it, landing just meters from the source as he stepped down on soft dirt, gravel and heated rock. He took the last few remaining steps towards the still smoking crater and looked down, seeing through the dusty updraft and spotting the one being he never thought he'd see.

He remained standing there for several minutes, eventually being joined by Sam, Dean and Bobby as they arrived in one of the old hunter's trucks. They quickly stepped out as Dean cut the engine, walking over to Castiel as he continued to stare down at the ground. He looked almost traced, the sad look on his face staying still as he continued staring down.

"Cas?" Dean was the first to reach him, noticing the empty look on his face. "Cas what is it?"

He didn't answer. Not for several moments until Dean, Sam and soon enough Bobby looked down towards the middle of the crater as the dust finally started to clear away. His face went from one of sadness to one of concentration, as the air around them cleared to reveal _who_ it was, the fallen angel now laying just feet below them.

"Is that…?" Sam almost froze, recognizing her immediately.

Dean's eyes went wide, taking in the familiar long dark hair and bronzed skin of the angel he once thought was gone for good. Little did he know. "It can't be."

"How in God's name." Bobby whispered, simply looking down at the young woman as well as he slowly lowered himself into the forty foot deep, quarter mile wide hole and started to make his way towards the center.

Sam quickly followed, as did Dean, which left Castiel to remain where he was, still standing on the edge of the crater looking down.

What he was seeing had him frozen in place.

He couldn't be sure of what he was seeing exactly, if it had been a trick of his mind or if it was something else entirely. He saw them clearly though, the imprints laying perfectly beneath either side, just above her outstretched arms. What he saw just above and below them however, was what he couldn't be entirely sure of. He was certain of the main set, a perfect impression of her wings stretched out around her. What he couldn't make out were the other two sets, one just above and below the main one. She carried more than one, and if his eyes were not for some strange reason playing tricks, he could have sworn that she carried exactly three to total _six_ wings.

The idea was _impossible_, but it could only mean one thing. And it was so unfortunate.

_Was he really _seeing_ what he thought he was seeing?_

That question was quickly shattered as Dean lifted her body up from the ground and Sam and Bobby started to erase the evidence of the wings they also saw, the wind picking up around them quickly taking care of the rest. The last thing they needed was the local authorities poking around and wondering what the Hell they were looking at. The hunters quickly took care of any obvious evidence and climbed out of there before anyone else could show up.

Dean quickly reached the top first, noticing that Castiel could not take his eyes off of her as he slowly approached him.

"Cas?"

Dean still couldn't understand what was suddenly wrong with the angel, his friend; why he seemed so distracted, disconnected and lost as he continued to merely stare at her, his expression falling from hard to almost regretful. He quickly erased it as Dean looked at him, quickly wanting to ask what was up with him before the angel had a moment to explain.

"We need to leave." Castiel stated simply, his soldier mode quickly taking over as he pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead before he could protest, and flew them out of there, leaving Sam and Bobby behind.

There would be a lot of questions to ask once they regrouped, but the only thought continuing to race through Castiel's mind was the same since his resurrection. To this day, he still couldn't figure out what had unfolded to turn the tides in his destiny.

_What was it that had her change her mind?_

Maybe now, he would get some answers, for the angel currently being held in Dean's arms, the angel who had sacrificed herself, fallen, and whose scream he heard clear as the life around him, was none other than his savior and sister. Only now, he couldn't be sure whether he just feel grateful for her sacrifice, or ashamed.

"_What have you done, Elizael?"_

* * *

><p>Castiel quickly brought them back to the heavily damaged house, Dean still trying to figure out what the heck was going on as he gently deposited her on the debris littered bed in the study. Castiel was quick to take care of that so that she could be more comfortable.<p>

The angel had recognized her immediately, the all too familiar Grace of the one who had tried to guide him back to Heaven and instead ended up giving up her essence so that he could live. The essence now pulsing and radiating in his chest at that very moment.

He continued watching over her from afar as Dean carefully scanned her for any obvious signs of injury. He found none and the only movement she made was the shallow but even breaths that caused her chest to rise and fall. Dean finds that she has a pulse, weak, but one nonetheless which he can only be thankful for. Other than the dozens of other questions currently flooding his brain at the moment, he had one other that refused to be buried at the bottom of the pile and continued resurfacing to the top.

_What the Hell was she doing _here_?_

The last time the hunter had seen her was when she had blown herself to bits, _literally_, and yet here she was, completely sound and obviously _not_ dead before him. But, had she…_fallen_? As Lucifer had fallen? It was clear to him that this may have very well been the case, considering that she had done it exactly, and before he could ask Castiel what he thought was happening the angel quietly informed him that it may not have actually been her.

Once an angel sacrificed themselves and forced their Grace into another being, that angel was gone, and gone for _good_. To have her be here now, well, that was simply impossible, unless a higher power intervened and had changed all that.

It only had Castiel feeling annoyed, if not a bit angry. There was war going on and He chose to sit on the sidelines to watch it unfold, knowing all the causalities and loss that was ensuing. It just sounded so, _selfish_.

"What are you talking about Cas?" Dean quickly turned towards him, breaking him out of his thoughts and concentrating on the new and unexpected situation currently in front of them. "What do you mean it's _not_ her?"

He couldn't entirely be sure, but what he had felt, what had forced its way towards them and pierced the air like a sharp jagged knife, it _felt_ like her. But the being currently in front of him, she held no power like that within her at the moment. So who _exactly_ was he looking at?

"This could simply just be her vessel." Castiel stated simply, slowly making his way over to look closer at her face. She remained as she was, head tilted slightly to the side facing the window as she continued to breathe in and out. She held no likeness of the warrior he knew and thus, "This can't be Elizael."

That had Dean standing up straight and looking at Cas with concentrated eyes, wondering how the angel even knew who she was if he had never even met her (at least not to his knowledge).

"How do you know who she is Cas if you two have never even met?" Again, not that he could really know that with all the brothers and sisters the angel actually had. Castiel was old, and could have come across her anytime throughout his life before the events of just a couple months ago. The question was stupid really. He knew that.

"We _have_ met Dean." Castiel tore his eyes from her to look at him, a look of pure certainty and understanding crossing his features. Dean knew that look too, and knew that he wasn't going to like what he heard. "She was going to take me back to Heaven. Before the end finally came to pass for me." He stated simply, the events of that day quickly flooding back into the hunters mind and causing him to feel a bit queasy. They still made him angry and upset whenever he came to remember them and he had tried incredibly hard, to forget. "She was going to guide me back to the Host when I died. She was in charge of trying to make it easier for me. For when I said goodbye to you."

Dean felt his jaw lock, trying to study his friends unreadable expression. His face did not give away anything, as if to say that he had accepted his fate, that he was supposed to die that day and that it should have been the end of it. Dean never did believe that destiny ruled over you, and was glad to see that sometimes Fate had a heart to let things slide sometimes. Not that it was ever enough sometimes either.

"Well I'm glad that never came to pass." He says simply, sniffing as he tried to lock up the emotions from that day and try to concentrate on the current situation now literally sprawled before them. He looked back at the unconscious young woman, trying to decide what to do now as he weighed out his options.

If this was indeed Isabelle and not Elizael, Dean wondered if he should maybe leave her at the hospital and let the staff and police deal with it themselves. This was cruel he knew, especially if it _was_ her and she had memories of the past year lodged in her brain. Honestly, how do you explain to a supposedly dead person that an angel has been posing around as them for the past twelve months and not freak out about it? Not exactly the wisest idea right now. Then there was the risk of angels and demons, if the same situation arose like it had with Jimmy when Cas was dragged back to Heaven.

But then again, if this was Elizael then they could probably try and work something else out, whatever that could be not really coming to mind at the moment. Needless to say, Dean was stuck at the moment with nowhere to turn and no answers to rely on to give him any solutions.

The only thing he could do (and one in which he really hated), was to wait.

Cas had the same idea however, fearing that whoever it was currently held within would be hunted down and searched for. Either by angels to enact revenge or to punish her for her most recent actions, or by demons to use her, neither idea was very pleasant.

Castiel slowly made his way over to her and placed his hand on her chest, Dean simply standing beside him to watch as realization dawned on him at what he was about to do. He had done the same with Adam, not long after he was resurrected and before he had been lost to Michael.

Castiel concentrated deep down in the bawls of his Grace as he tried to pull it up, focusing on the sigil he was to engrave on her ribs as he had done with Dean and Sam. He pushed down, expecting the effect to be instantaneous as it had been with them, but finds himself falling short as an invisible force pushed him back. He is left slightly confused, Dean asking him what's wrong before he tries again. He doesn't answer him, merely concentrating on his task as he is again pushed put and tries again.

With more force this time, he attempts again to carve the sigil into her ribs and again is pushed back, even farther this time as the power of both opposing forces has him losing his grip. He is literally thrown back, hard, and is flown through the air onto the floor as a bright white light forces itself from her chest.

Her eyes snap open almost instantly as she fiercely gasps, quickly awakening as Dean and Castiel look up from their positions on the floor. She remains lying completely still, her back arched and pushed up off the bed as life is suddenly poured back into her.

She remains still for several seconds, finally gasping again and trying desperately to draw air into her lungs as she hyperventilates. It lasts only but a moment longer, as she quickly shoots up and forces herself to sit, still trying to draw in air as she tries to gain back control of her body.

She's trembling, her hands grasped tightly around her biceps and mind racing as she tries almost desperately to breathe. She can feel her soul quaking, the sweat now forming on her brow along with the tears welling in her eyes as her spirit readjusts returning to her physical form. She has no idea what is happening to her, why she suddenly feels like she was empty and her body is foreign to her. For some strange reason, she feels as if it was never hers to begin with.

She remembers nothing, cannot recall a single tragic moment as she continues trying to breathe in and out as her body fights hard to readjust.

Dean and Castiel can merely only watch as her shakes begin to subside, her panic quickly leaving her face as she gains back control over her aching limbs and fragile mind. It aches, causing a brain splitting migraine to quickly form from her right temple of her skull and then over to her left, quickly rushing to her forehead and then to the back of her head. She feels as if her head is going to explode, quickly dropping it into her hands as she fights back the tears and pain currently building.

She crouches down within herself, trying desperately to ignore the white hot flash running down her spine as she bites down the urge to scream.

She eventually does. She's never felt pain like this, not that that she can ever remember.

She pushes her forehead down onto the mattress, her hands soon reaching over to cross against her chest as the pain travels from one spot and over to another. She continues panting, struggling to keep the pain at bay as she feels it start to die down and release its hold on her. Her eyes are squeezed tight, trying to keep them closed, fearing that if she opens them that the pain will somehow come back and she will be somehow blinded.

_Why she thinks that, she can't be sure the reason._

The pain finally dies, leaving only a dull reminder of what it was as she slowly uncurls herself and pushes her hands down onto the mattress to prop herself up. She continues breathing in and out deeply, a familiar sensation of feeling blood wanting to trail down her nose quickly being stopped as she sniffs and concentrates on ignoring all the sensations currently bombarding her. She continues taking in deep breaths, focusing on counting each inhale as she feels her chest slowly letting go of the tightness that had taken hold of it. She feels sore, almost hollow from the inside out and tries to ignore the new feelings currently plaguing her. She is so concentrated on this that she doesn't even notice the two men slowly picking themselves up from the floor to her right.

They aren't even there in her mind currently, until Dean gets within her peripheral vision and she notices. She slowly looks over to him, recognizing him almost immediately from the diner. _What was she doing here, and with _him_?_

Dean slowly makes his way towards her, Castiel continuing to keep his distance as the hunter keeps his eyes locked with hers. She's following him, the look she gives indicating that she is studying his every move as if expecting him to do something. Whatever it is, she doesn't want to appear weak and defenseless, even if her body feels like nothing but pure lead at the moment.

What she barely hears him say next, only serves to confuse her more.

"Elizael?" Dean swallows hard as he lowers himself down, almost kneeling before her as he continues to stare at her. His look could almost be described as if he was searching for some sign of her soul. It was almost the way Cas would look at him, but just slightly less creepy.

She says nothing at first, her empty stare continuing to stay locked on his striking green eyes as she tries to process what he has just said. It doesn't take long for her mind to start putting things back together for her, not it will do much for her really. She only manages to bring out a whisper as she finally finds her voice. "Who?"

Dean's face falls a little, only half expecting this turn but expecting it nonetheless. Knowing the situation now, he knew that this would only makes things harder for both him, and for the young woman currently staring back at him.

"My name's not Elizael. It's Isabelle." She states simply, her words still barely above a whisper as she continues trying to concentrate on the rise and fall of her chest. It takes only another moment as she finally manages to take away her focus from it. "My name…is Isabelle."

The only word spinning in Dean's head at that moment besides all the other obvious ones, is crap.

* * *

><p>Dean had no idea what to do right now, other than what they did with Jimmy when Cas had been dragged back to Heaven, so this really should not have been hard to get through considering he had already done it once before. So then why the heck could he not say anything? She still stared at him blankly, her shoulders slouched down and hands now laying in her lap between her legs. She looked dead tired, as if those few words had drained every ounce of energy she had managed to collect. In all honestly, it didn't appear to be very much.<p>

Dean knew that he could just let her stay there however, questions bound to pop up if given enough free time to actually start thinking. So he did the only thing he could and started asking them first. Anything to stay ahead of the game with her.

"Isabelle." He carefully shifted his posture so that she concentrated on him and only him, continuing to stay kneeled on the side of the bed beside her as he tried to figure out the words to say. He was the master of bullshitting of course when it came right down to it. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Her eyes still look blank and unfocused, her mind numb and she simply shakes her head slightly, as if to tell him that she didn't know. It took another moment before she finally blinked, the haziness in her bright brown orbs now disappearing and clearing up. With that it looked almost as if she had finally snapped back into reality, after being out of it for so long. "I remember you."

Her answer is simple and plain, causing Dean to feel a little bit of relief at the fact that they were getting somewhere. If that was all she remembered, maybe he could spare her the details of being an angel condom for the past year. Hopefully.

"You're the agent from the diner." She says quietly, her right hand limply lifting and pointing at him as if to point out what she was talking about. "You were there," she says slowly. "You were there that day, the day when," She looks away and then down towards the bed, the memory of that night slowly unfolding in bright flashes in her mind. Her eyelids flutter as each scene plays past her, causing her spine to go rigid and her skin to form in a thin layer of goose bumps. Her lips start trembling, her eyes remaining closed as she subconsciously reaches for her chest and the inexplicable white hot pain she remembers once being there. It all seems too real, and she begins to panic once again, quickly calming herself down as she mouths soft words from an unsteady voice. "I died."

Dean isn't sure what say, praying that she didn't remember but knowing that that would probably not last for very long. And it seemed he was right.

"You did." Castiel said, speaking for the first time since she regained consciousness.

Dean looks back at him, frustration clearly hiding behind his demeanor as he carefully tells the angel to be a bit more sensitive with what he said. "Cas what the Hell."

"I'm just saying."

Of course the dumbass wouldn't understand the need for sensitivity right now. The big dummy.

"Cas?" Her head snaps up to look at him, the use of his name bringing something up to the surface in her brain. She recognized it, she recognized _him_, but couldn't for the life of her figure out where. Then it came to her, as if on request. "As in…_Castiel_?" She sits up straighter, almost surprising Dean as she completely ignores him and focuses on the angel. "Are you Castiel?"

Dean looks at her in surprise, and raises his hands as if to tell her to slow down a sec. "Time out," he says, making the gesture with both his hands as he tries to process this unexpected left turn of hers. _This was going to get interesting_, to say the least. "How do you know he's Castiel?"

"I don't know," she states simply, her knuckles now going white as she grips hard onto her knees. "He just…sounds familiar." She again looks away from him and over to the angel, as if trying to completely ignore the hunter currently a foot away from her. "Have we met before?"

Castiel doesn't answer however, his face remaining cold and calculated as he tries to understand what is currently happening within her. She's conflicted, this much he can see, but there is something else hiding deep inside her as well. He just can't tell what it is yet.

"Isabelle," Dean grips her right forearm, forcing her to look at him as he tries to decipher what her mind is revealing to her. Little did he know. "What else do you remember? Do you remember anything? Anything at all?"

"No," she states simply, almost as if she isn't sure if she should actually say what she feels she needs to. "No, I─" She sighs heavily as she tries to remember, again finding her eyes clasping over her eyes as if fearing that they will be burned out of her skull. Again, she doesn't know why she thinks this. "I only remember it being dark," she says as she looks back at Dean, her eyes sharp and focused. "I remember a bright light and then," She looks up towards the ceiling as if it would give her the answer. She notices the sigil painted just above, and one of the symbols written in the corner of the outer circle brings something back to her, something she swears really did happen, before looking back down at Dean. She hears whispering, something that sounds like a deep rooted incantation that only has her skin feeling warmer and her chest feeling tight. She chooses to ignore it. "Nothing," she says, trying her hardest to erase the images currently popping into her brain. "Just a voice inside of my head. Whispering something to me. Asking me for something."

This makes Dean cringe just a little, but it quickly dies down at her next words.

"I don't remember what it was." She stares at him, as if he hoping he could tell her. "I don't know what she said to me."

Just as Dean was about to sigh in relief at her lack of recollection, Cas, of course, just had to ruin it.

"That must have been when Elizael asked her permission to use her as a vessel."

Dean's eyes shot wide open and rolled, looking back at the angel and mentally telling him to shut the Hell up already. Sure Cas never knew when some things just needed to be left alone, but seriously, could he not tell that this was one of those times? "_Seriously Cas_."

"Who the heck is Elizael?" Isabelle nearly shouts, causing Dean to spin back around in an uneasy stance. Oh crap. This wasn't going to be good. "You called me Elizael when I woke up. Why? Who the hell is she? Why would you call me that?"

Too many questions started rolling from her tongue, and Dean found himself getting nervous for some unknown reason. He silently prayed that Cas would keep his mouth shut this time, that he would not say a word, and almost as if she could read his mind, she notices this.

This only served to piss her off, and release an unexplainable fury and erupt it from within her. "Oh no, no, no, I want some answers buddy and I want them right now!" She claims, practically screaming at the hunter as he quickly tries to come up with some bullshit lie to tell her. The less she knew the better off she would be, but only if he could get her to believe it.

Dean tries to calm her, placing his hands in front of her to keep her at bay, but before anyone can answer however she begins to get even more angry and rolling out with more questions. One after another after another.

"_Who_ the _Hell_ is _Elizael_? Where am I? Who are you, really?" She looks hard at Dean as she says this, wondering why he was trying to keep things from her when she had a right to know. Clearly, he wasn't who he had claimed to be. "What the hell is going on? Why is it that I can't remember how I got here?"

"Isabelle, please just calm down." Dean nearly begged, praying to God that she wasn't going to completely flip out. Heck, Jimmy hadn't flipped out, not like this anyway.

"Calm down? Don't tell me to calm down. I don't know what the hell is happening or what the hell I'm doing here or where the hell I am!" She shouted, her lungs now aching as her yells only got louder. She was feeling anxious, and this only caused her anger to grow.

"Okay okay. Look. You just gotta relax." Dean is starting to panic himself as her anxiety rises and places his hands on her arms hoping to keep her still.

It only serves to make things _worse_.

Flashbacks of what has happened in the past year start to burst before her in a split second, quickly burying her head back in her hands as the images come in faster and clearer. Everything she sees is so alien, and yet, she can't help but feel the familiarity in them. The most vivid are her last few moments, to the night she died and to the moment she burst into flames, her body exploding as something powerful tore from out of her chest. It's all too sudden, and this frightens her.

She opens her eyes and they grow wide in horror as she looks over at Dean.

Her anxiety changes from anger to fear, as she looks over at Castiel and panics even more. The object she saw, the one tearing from out of her heart is slowly swirling within him, and she cannot understand how she can see this. Nor can she understand what exactly it is. "Get away from me." She whispers, moving towards the wall and as far away from them as possible as her fear continues to build. Castiel walks closer, unaware of what it is that is actually frightening her. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" She shuts her eyes and practically screams, quickly opening them and attempting to get up from the bed and run.

_Shit_. Dean quickly grabs a hold of her however, spinning his arm around her waist and pushing her back onto the bed. She quickly tries to fight him, trying to get him off of her as she struggles with both him and the images still clouding her mind, as well as her judgment. She pushes herself hard against him, but he merely hangs onto her arms and then her wrists as he tries to prevent her from hurting herself. Right now, she seemed very much capable of doing so and needless to say, he wasn't doing so well a job as she continued to struggle against him.

"Isabelle you gotta calm down. Just calm down!"

"LET ME GO!"

Isabelle is now screaming her lungs out and crying erratically, as Dean continues to try and hold her down. He's panicking, unsure of what has suddenly caused her ranting and quickly looks over at Castiel with a clear fear in his eyes. Castiel is somewhat frightened himself, saddened and sorrowful of her sudden behavior.

"Cas will you do something already!" Dean shouts and the angel quickly does as he's told, quickly walking over to her.

Isabelle is screaming desperately, her eyes growing wide as she sees him walk towards her. Only it's not a man she is currently seeing at that moment. She sees the real him, the real Castiel, the celestial being hiding under the body of Jimmy Novak, and the two of them don't even realize it. The swirls of red, gold and silver continue to spin within him, and she is suddenly hit with a feeling of familiarity and strangely, safety. It doesn't ease her mind however, as she continues to struggle against the man currently pinning her down. She feels absolutely helpless and trapped.

"NO! STOP!"

She tries desperately to claw at Dean and get away as Castiel approaches and places two fingers on her forehead, slowly quieting her screams as he draws his Grace within her. The effect of Cas' touch is not immediate as it should be however, her thrashing quickly stopping though as she is left breathing hard until she's practically breathless.

It takes several seconds for her episode to subside and she lets out one last whimper, whispering something under her breath that she does not even realize is unfamiliar to her. However, whether she realizes it or not, it's buried deep within her mind, and only Castiel can see it, just as she can see him. Castiel looks at her, as does Dean as she finally closes her eyes and slips into unconsciousness, her head falling to the side. She is still left crying however.

Dean looks over at Castiel, who has not taken his eyes off of her, his expression now one of pure confusion and uncertainty.

"What the hell was that?" Dean looks back down at her and slowly removes his hands from her wrists. Her energy is depleted, having nothing left but enough to allow her to breathe. The only sensation she is experiencing at the moment is the sweat currently forming on her brow and falling down the back of her neck. Her mind is far too numb to take in anything else.

Dean looks back at Castiel who continues to look down at her. He carefully wipes away a tear from her right cheek with the ball of his thumb, cupping her face in his hand, the look on his face showing the sorrow he feels towards her.

Elizael has obviously left her mark.

"Cas?" Dean is still looking at him but Castiel refuses to let go of his gaze. "Cas? What did she say?"

Cas keeps his gaze for one moment longer and finally removes his hand as she finally succumbs to sleep.

"She said 'no'." He says quietly, looking over at Dean as he his sadness for her slowly starts to envelop him. "She said, 'I won't let you back in.'"

Dean gives him his own look of confusion, trying to decipher what the angel wasn't yet saying. He knew that her words hadn't been in English, or in any language he had ever heard, but he wasn't expecting them to be in what the angel was currently confessing. Honestly, this situation was only throwing out surprise after unexpected surprise and they were bound to get more before the end of this whole thing.

"She was speaking in Enochian."

His words are soft-spoken, barely audible, unless you were directly standing right beside him. This only serves to worry Dean even more for some unexplained reason. The hunter can only stare at the angel and then back at the now silent girl who lay in front of them. This one was going to be a handful, and only Dean, Sam, Cas and Bobby would be the ones to get all the unfortunate responsibility.

_Perfect_.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note:** So I figured the Hell with it and forget about splitting this into a 1400 word chapter and leave it as is, which resulted in this long ass behemoth. As always, reviews are always appreciated and loved. ;D


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:** Oh my God. I actually got my brain to leave my other verse and actually update this story. Woohoo! Now that I have that out of the way, oops, I did it again, only this time I added just over 800. (Hey I just quoted Britney Spears! XD Sad. -.-) Anyways, sorry about doing that to you guys again…although some changes to last chapter are kind of important. I'll leave it to you to go back if you want to. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favored and alerted so far. You guys are awesome. I'll try to update sooner than I have been usually but truth be told, I have a slash verse that has been taking all of my attention and free time. And I do mean all of it. *runs like Hell to get my head on straight and focus on one damn verse and one damn verse only* Can't tell you which one that will be lol. XD

**Written:** 23 August

**Soundtrack: **None

**Word Count:** 2800+

**Chapter 3**

In all honestly, where could you really begin? How do you explain it really? One minute everything was, well, not _normal_ to the usual standards, but certainly not out of the norm for them. Elizael, or in this case, Isabelle, had apparently fallen out of the sky, woken up, had a bit of what looked like a massive angelic hangover, and then after her brain started to put some pieces together, decided to have a massive freak out.

_Yeah, that's probably how Dean would choose to explain it_. _Again, how else could he __**really**__?_

That certainly hadn't been Jimmy's case. But then again, he did have to remember that this wasn't Jimmy. Considering the guy had still been _alive_ when Cas took over and Isabelle had technically been killed when Elizael had, which he still wasn't even sure how it was possible since an angel _technically_ needed permission to use someone as a vessel. Again, another mystery to add to the already growing pile of questions in his brain.

Dean could really use a drink after all this was over. He made sure to put that on the top of his to-do list.

After finally slipping into unconsciousness, Dean carefully returned Isabelle to her original position on the bed. She was out cold, whether from Cas' interference or from her own accord, Dean couldn't be sure considering what happened. Usually when the angel knocked someone out, it was instantaneous, but this time took much longer and a lot more force it seemed. Said angel continued to watch her as Dean finished situating her, remaining on the other side of the room and continuing to stare.

Dean noticed soon enough as he stepped away, and decided that now was a good a time as ever to ask his first question, among many, many questions. "You wanna tell me what the hell that was about Cas?"

Of course, Castiel's answer was as deadpan as ever. "It would appear that she had a mental episode. A breakdown perhaps."

Dean rolled his eyes before pointing out the two obvious facts of that statement. Obviously, that _that_ was already crystal freakin' clear and the other, that Cas was still taking shit a little too literally. Dean would have to be careful with what he said Heaven forbid Cas still didn't get the reference. Even the easy ones. _Really, still can't get __**one**__?_ Of course, Dean's statement was just as deadpan, with a hint of sarcasm to follow it. "Ya think." _As if I didn't already know that little fact_.

Cas released a sigh of his own, apparently feeling just as frustrated with the ordeal as Dean was. He turned away from him for just a moment, arms folded across his chest slowly falling as he turned his glare back at her. "Perhaps she is starting to remember."

"Remember _what_?" Dean replied irritatingly, clearly already on edge considering the situation now unfolding. To have all those memories of the last year come back to her all at once, well, Dean really didn't have the physiological capacity to handle that at the moment. Sam was more the expert at it, but again, this was on a whole other level right now. They're were gonna need help. _Professional_, help, if they could find it that is. "She's been an angel condom for the last year. Isabelle _died_. Her soul shouldn't even be back in her body unless─"

"It was resurrected." Castiel answers quickly, his gaze moving up from the ground and over to Dean. He slowly makes his way over to him, a look of epiphany appearing on his face as he now stares at him with his signature soul peering look.

It actually still makes Dean feel a little uncomfortable, although not as much as before, but considering that Cas had done that once before with his own soul, it should come to no surprise that the angel still finds him so fascinating. It stills serves to make him feel a bit creeped out though. Talk about close and personal.

"Cas." Dean says plainly, staring straight back at him with half lidded, annoyed eyes as if to tell him that he is repeating himself again with something that he should already know. Seriously, not that he wasn't bothered with it but still, did he really have to keep telling him? "Personal space."

Castiel hadn't even realized that he was doing that creepy bubble invasion thing again, and promptly stepped away. "Sorry."

"Right." Dean said deadpan again, his hands now on his hips as he turned back around towards Isabelle, and their latest problem. The burning question still remained at the top of his head. What the hell exactly was it that they were dealing with, and why did this type of crap always fall on them? "You said that she may have been resurrected?"

"That's correct." Castiel replied, wondering what it was that Dean was bound to ask next. The look he had currently sporting his face was the only conclusion of the hunter considering all options but focusing on one in particular. It was more than likely the same thing he currently had on his own mind.

"Who the hell has the power to─"

"God." Cas replied plainly, stopping Dean midsentence as he stared back at her. "Although angels do as well, but I highly doubt any angel was responsible for this."

Castiel goes back to looking at Dean, as if asking him what he thought. If it wasn't an angel that was responsible, then the answer came back to the most obvious one, and Castiel was still having his issues with that fact.

Dean read the angels face like a book, even though he held his signature poker face most of the time. "_Okay_…so _God_, brought her back. Why?"

"I don't know." Castiel seems almost a bit annoyed at the fact, but chooses to let his own issues slide for the time being. Again, with war going on, why wasn't He interfering to stop it and performing acts such as this? Castiel takes his eyes off her and looks back at Dean, staring at him straight in the eye. "But we'll need to find out."

"Okay so─" Castiel disappears and Dean is left with his mouth open, the only sound in the room now being the disappearing flap of wings and the death of his voice. _He could have at least let him finish_. "You do that." Dean says plainly to himself.

He simply heaves out a sigh and goes to look back down at Isabelle. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully now, although Dean was more than confident that it was probably anything but. She would have a lot of questions when she came to again, and unfortunately, it would be he who would have to answer for it.

Again, he knew that he better get cracking on coming up with some bullshit answers, or be faced with the wrath of a very confused and pissed off individual, if her recent tirade said anything already.

* * *

><p>Sam and Bobby returned soon enough, finding the house still very much in shambles but nonetheless still standing for the most part. Dean was currently picking up some of Bobby's books from the floor and stacking them in piles in the study, noticing his brother and surrogate father coming through the only half hinged front door. Sam was the first to approach him, first asking what the deal was with their angel suddenly disappearing on them and secondly if Elizael had woken up.<p>

Dean figured that now was a good time as ever to figure out some of his own questions, even if they were a jumbled mess at the moment. Now that he thought about it, it did slip his mind that Cas had acted strangely when they had found her at the bottom of that hole. Why didn't he approach her, or why couldn't he stop staring at her? What was it that he saw that they hadn't cared to notice? And for that matter, why did he seem so distracted with her? Was there something he wasn't saying, something he wasn't telling them? Not that the guy couldn't have his secrets, but still, _what the HECK was up_? Great, even more freakin' questions. _Fantastic_.

"Oh she woke up." Dean said, almost sarcastically, getting up as he finished with another pile of dusty books and walked over to them, poising in front of them with a fake smile. "Not Elizael by the way."

Sam simply cocked his head a little. _Did he just say_… "Isabelle?" Sam asked, the look on his brothers face telling him that he was indeed, not joking. "As in, the dead girl from Estherville. _Isabelle Cartwright_."

"Well who the hell else do you think this is?" Dean nearly snapped.

"Wait a minute Dean." Sam paused, placing a hand in front of his brothers face and rewinding the words in his brain. If that was the case, then─ "That's impossible."

"Oh really." Dean replied, his sarcasm only peaking as his frustration began to mount even more. _Seriously could really use that drink now_. "Well I can tell you for a fact Sammy that it isn't. Girl don't remember a damn thing. _Nothing_. Like from the past freakin' year and then all of a sudden…I don't know, light flips on and she flips out."

"Wait she told you this?" Bobby asked, still trying to play catch up with what the brothers already knew.

"More like screamed it actually." Dean smiled widely this time, his 'being a sarcastic prick' attitude turning more into a 'being a total dick' one. It only served for him to get one of Sam's traditional bitch faces, this one saying: _stop being such an asshole Dean_.

"Well is she okay?"

"I don't know Sam. How would you feel if you woke up in a strangers house with memories that aren't yours and the last one that you remember of yourself was of you _dying_?"

Sam looked at Bobby who simply shrugged his shoulders (_he wasn't touching this one_) and Sam looked back at Dean with his typical puppy dog face, as if to try and empathize with her. "I think I'd feel pretty confused."

Dean only scoffed. "Understatement Sammy. _Understatement_."

"Well what the hell is she doing now?" Bobby asked gruffly, hoping to get some sort of information from Dean considering he seemed to have more answers than the two of them at the moment. Not that they were much. "You _said_ that she had woken up."

"Cas had to…knock her out." Dean replied plainly, beginning to pace around the room as a hand found itself rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Knock her out? Why?"

"She freaked Sam." Dean replied, stopping mid pace to stare back at him dead in the eye. "She was so traumatized at…whatever the hell was going on in her head she looked like she was gonna freakin' lose it. I had to, hold her down so Cas could shut her up."

"Hold her down?" Bobby repeated. _That certainly didn't sound good_.

"Yes Bobby. _Hold her down_." Dean repeated back, sounding like he was tired of having to say everything twice. It was clear that his patience was quite thin at the moment. "If I didn't she could have hurt herself." He continued pacing, this time pulling at his bottom lip with his thumb and forefinger as his other hand fell back to his hip. "She was, I don't know, one second she was fine and the next she went AWOL. She started screaming her head off and then she said that she wouldn't let her back in."

His last sentence had Sam's brain running into overdrive. "Let who back in? Elizael?"

"That would be my guess. She was speaking in angel talk."

Sam and Bobby say nothing but merely glance at each other.

"_Isabelle_, was speaking in _Enochian_?"

"That's what Cas said. Frankly, I don't know how but she was."

A moment of silence passed before anyone spoke up again.

"Well alright then. Let's just hope she can give some answers when she wakes up." Bobby said, already planning to get the lidocaine ready heaven forbid she had another episode.

"Honestly Bobby, I don't think I want her doing that." Dean replied honestly, giving the hunter his own concerned look as he stared back at him. "I mean," Dean tried finding the right words, throwing his arms up in the air before letting them slap against his legs. He was actually starting to get a headache forming in the back of his skull. "You should have seen her. It was like she was…trying to figure out if she was sane or if there really was something inside of her. She was _scared_ Bobby."

They say nothing for a moment, Dean looking over at Sam as Sam looked over at Bobby, hoping for some sort of consolation before they decided to put some form of plan in place. Whether it would be for her safety or for their own, each hunter knew that they had to be prepared. Bobby simply sighed in frustration and softly spoke.

"Well I don't give a hoot. She'll just have to get over it." Bobby stated simply, his arms folding across his chest in front of him as if to prove his stance. "The way I see it, she's a part of this war now and whether she likes it or not, there ain't no gettin' out of it."

"Wait Bobby. What if she doesn't remember?" Sam asked, an idea of his own suddenly coming to the surface.

"I'm sorry?"

"What if she doesn't remember anything about what's happened in the last year? She can just go back to her family," he said, looking over at his brother for some form of support. "Right?"

Dean would unfortunately have to shoot that idea down. "She didn't have any family Sam."

Sam simply stared at him, reading his brothers mixed expression of both remorse and regret. Clearly, he wasn't lying, but still, "How do you know?"

"Mom died when she was a baby. Dad died when she was a teenager. I looked into it." Dean said sternly, recalling the conversation he had had with her former co-worker and friend the night after her murder. It was still locked freshly in his memory, and unbeknownst to them, sometimes he would have it replaying in his mind during some of his most solitary moments. "She was living on her own, and had _no_ other family."

Well then, Sam thought, I guess we have to scratch that part. "Okay fine. But she had a life. She deserves to go back to it."

"She worked at a second class diner with a boss who was douche and _killed_ her because she refused to fall into his web like all those other girls. That wasn't a life Sam. That was a personal hell." Dean retorted, nearly shouting as his guilt from that day came bubbling back up to the surface. If this girl was going to get a second chance at having some sort of life, he sure as heck wasn't going to let it rot back in Estherville. Not where she had memories like that to remind her of the torture she went through.

Sam however, was unconvinced.

"It's gonna be hard to explain how she's even alive anyhow." Bobby added, knowing full well that she was already thought to be dead by most if not all of the residents in that town. That would only serve to confuse her even more, and cause more harm than good.

"That's not the point Bobby." Sam fought, trying to get one of them to see his side.

"Sam," Dean said softly, not wanting to wake her or argue with his brother, knowing that he did have a small point but still not big enough of one. "If the demons or the angels find out that she is alive, whether she remembers anything or not she is screwed now. They will be after her just like they went after Jimmy when Cas got dragged back to Heaven to be ass-reamed. Do you really want to put her through that?" What he was really trying to say behind all those words was, to put it bluntly: _She's fucked_.

Sam couldn't find anything to say, knowing that Dean was only trying to get him to see the truth, even if he didn't want to. He did have a point, even if it was hard to accept.

"We can't let her go anywhere. She's stuck here." Dean stared straight at him, locking his eyes with that of his brothers and surrogate father, He had won the argument, and they both knew it. "It's the only way we're gonna be able to protect her man. We don't have a choice."

Bobby looks at Sam, and knows that the younger hunter is left defeated.

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:** Wow. Has it really been over a month since I've updated this story? Sad. T.T I've got plenty of reasons (work is the most obvious culprit) as well as some excuses (other stories that have distracted me as well re-editing several already posted) but that still doesn't make up for the fact that I have pretty much left everyone here hanging, so I apologize for that. I can't promise that updates will get any faster considering that I am very much distracted with my 07x01 inspired piece "Maybe" which is currently my main focus, and a slash verse that has been going through a very heavy re-model, but I will try to bring out updates as fast as I can considering this story has technically already been written out and completed. I just haven't found the motivation to continue it until now, and my muse is very much throwing itself everywhere, so for that I'm sorry. Even though I'm not completely in the game here, I figured that I should give you guys at least a little something to hold you out until I can get back on track. Thank you again for all your support, and please keep it coming.

**Written:** 07 September

**Soundtrack:** Hymn for the Missing by RED

**Word Count:** 5300+

**Chapter 4**

Castiel had managed to put their latest predicament out for a few hours, enough to get her to calm down but apparently not to prevent her from asking questions or voicing doubts.

…

_She woke up in a haze, brain still beating against her skull and pounding her thoughts in almost every direction as she tried her hardest to figure out what was real and what exactly wasn't. It was just a jumbled mess in her mind, the feel of beating wings, burning light, searing pain and even unexpected feelings of hollowness suddenly being lifted bombarding her all at once. It was confusing, erratic, and just downright worrying and terrifying, but still she fought to keep it all together, and focused first and foremost on what she deemed to be real. What she knew could be familiar, and not simply just a dream._

She slowly moved her arms from where they lay on either side of her head, moving them down to rest just beside her waist and forcing them to push down until she slowly propped herself up, her back snapping a little and head swimming as she made her way up to sit.

_She still felt tired, her eyes drooping and blinking lightly as she fought her way back into consciousness. She was exhausted, her limbs numb and brain fuzzy, but still her will merely screamed at her to ignore all the feelings and to get up, to walk around and find something to grasp onto, anything to help clear the faded memories in her head along with the empty feelings in her heart. That was the strange thing. Her heart felt different for some reason, almost electrified, just that tiny spark hidden beneath her ribcage that lay dormant until she found the key to open it. She felt her head lowering, a hand subconsciously reaching over to rest against her chest as if expecting to feel something, anything that might cause her to unlock the memories of her past as well as relieve her of her doubt._

_It all just seemed so real, so tirelessly absent, and yet so dangerously close that she could almost taste it, feel it, live it. She felt like a lost and distant soul, like it had already been burned out and moved on, only to be found again and returned from whence it came. It felt so different, so unfamiliar, almost like it was never hers to begin with, and she found herself questioning it all._

She was so distracted with her thoughts, with the pain now emanating from her heart that she never even noticed she was being watched. She felt her hand tirelessly fall from her chest and into her lap, her head falling even more as she felt her eyes finally give in and close completely, allowing the darkness to take back over into her mind and take it all away.

* * *

><p>She didn't know how long she had been out this time, only knew that it was dark outside now, wisps of sunrise peeking just through the window. She saw that she had been maneuvered back on the bed, her legs pulled out in front of her and hands now placed graciously over her stomach as she slept. Her eyes still felt heavy, gritty, but still she fought against the need to sleep and lost almost instantly just as she rolled onto her side and buried her head into the pillow, both her arms now resting in front of her chest and hands placed cautiously by her face. She felt the first drones of warmth start to flash against her skin, the sun beginning to rise just as her eyes started to close. Again she felt that someone watched her, feeling a sudden weight settle over her as a blanket was placed to cover her. She didn't even try to acknowledge her caretaker, finding herself already succumbing back to sleep as the darkness again consumed her.<p>

_She felt her soul trying to settle, as if it had been lost and found again, only it had been peeled apart and left to start from the beginning, like the commencement of a life starting its journey anew. She didn't understand this feeling, but couldn't seem to find the want to care either as she quietly slipped back into oblivion._

_If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that her body was being wrapped, not solely by the blanket but by a set of wings, one just over her shoulders and neck, another around her arms and waist, the final just over her legs. They felt so familiar, so real and yet so rapture, almost as if they were coming from herself and no one else. It was different but also so very genuine, authentic, true. It was like they were always there, and she had only now found a way to unveil them and let them free. Only they weren't hers, not really anyway, and she began to wonder who it was they truly belonged to._

_She felt like a piece of herself was missing, lost, distant and stranded somewhere out there without ever a chance to be recovered. To be reclaimed. To be found. It was unsettling, surreal and lonely, but still she concentrated on the feeling in her heart, still pulsing there like a tiny ball of light that couldn't be put out. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about it just felt so heavenly, pure and joy filled, almost like every happy memory she had ever experienced without any chance of being destroyed. It was pleasant, and yet it seemed so very much untrue._

_She never got to consider the thought, as she lost her battle of consciousness all over again._

* * *

><p>It was later now, the sun now high in the sky and beating against her face as she felt herself pulling back up to the surface. She opened her eyes once more, finding the warmth surrounding her to be the most pleasant she'd felt in years. She didn't want to move, make a sound or even go away, but her mind suddenly snapped back online as she recalled all the details of the last day. She promptly sat herself up, her breath catching in her throat as she gasped and fought to draw in air, the warmth from her back suddenly disappearing like a glass now shattered into tiny pieces.<p>

She fought hard to clutch onto herself, to keep holding onto her sanity as if her very life depended on it. She felt herself breathing, her heart moving, her limbs quaking and her tears forming. She felt like something was missing, gone and out of her reach, and she couldn't understand where this pain was suddenly coming from. She was lost, confused, and suddenly felt so ashamed that she couldn't understand.

She placed her head in her hand, covering her eyes as her other found itself now clutching the fabric of her shirt just over her heart. It was confusing, erratic, and yet so unceremoniously daunting that she didn't even know what was causing it all. She felt trapped, caged, almost surrounded by opposing forces on all sides and she didn't know where to turn. She felt herself drowning and afraid, unable to pick up the pieces as she tried her hardest to put them all back.

It didn't work however, and her thoughts were soon interrupted by a soft hand on her shoulder.

"Hey."

She felt her head snap up, the tears welling from her eyes now slowly trailing down her face as she looked over to see who was speaking to her. It was Dean, the sharpness of his eyes bearing down at her as she drew in the concern that shone through his eyes. It was almost comforting, but also so very much confusing as she took in his gaze, his every feature, and something deep inside told her that he was special. That he was different, and that he was someone important, not just to her but to everyone else, almost as if he had a destiny that outranked all the rest. It was capturing, and she felt like she had no idea what to do with it, with this feeling welling up inside her.

"Dean?" Her voice sounded so small, so shaky from screaming and misuse, but dare she say that she actually recognized it as her own. She didn't. Not one bit.

"Are you okay?" Dean's voice was soft, almost cautious as he kept his eyes concentrated on her as he saw her fight her way to reality. She was lost, unfocused and unable to separate the two worlds apart, looking so much like the young woman who once held a life of her own, only to have it snatched away and taken from her, to be used in a war that wasn't even hers and she didn't even want. For a second he thought he could see the angel that once claimed her, but that image quickly disappeared as she took in a breath and let her body fall, her shoulders slouching as she finally exhaled and closed her eyes once more.

She looked deep within herself, trying to understand these feelings welling up inside and getting no answer in return. She was desperate, hopeless, but still she fought to keep herself together, and answered the hunter as honestly as she could. "I'm fine." Okay so maybe not completely honest.

Her gaze avoided his completely, her head turning away to stare down at her own hands now settled in her lap. She felt so empty, so defeated and yet so determined, determined to find her way and get her answers, answers to what had happened and why she was feeling what it was she was experiencing. Only she didn't know the questions that needed to be asked. She didn't know where to begin, and this only served to grieve her more. Her eyes remained closed, brow furrowed as if in concentration until she heaved out a long sigh and let it all go. She was giving up, maybe not for eternity but at least for this moment, and chose instead to focus on the present, for it seemed like her one and true reality right now. It was all she had to go on.

Dean didn't seem to notice her obvious discomfort, but chose not to push it either and instead decided to try and pry her open with some small talk. "Would you like something to eat? Are you hungry?"

Her brow furrowed again, lips almost pouting and looking almost like she was surprised. Only then did she come to realize that she was, in fact, starving. She felt her stomach cramping, only slightly but still obviously uncomfortable from the lack of food currently in her belly. She figured that if there was anywhere to start that it could be right here and she answered Dean with a simple honest reply, just as she'd done before. "I'm starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in a year."

She couldn't help but notice the pinching of his eyes at that moment the second those words passed her lips. It was almost like he was finding something ironic, or even funny.

"You could say that," he replied, not even looking the least bit joking. This didn't exactly bring comfort to her. She stared back at him with a puzzled look, Dean merely pursing his lips as he slowly made his way out of the chair he had been sitting in and made his way to head over to the kitchen. "Okay. I'll, uh, go make you something."

He quickly disappeared as she moved her head to stare and follow him, wondering what the heck she could have possibly said to make him react that way. She simply arched an eyebrow and shook her head, untangling herself from the bed sheets and dropping the matter altogether. Dean was obviously a weird one, that much she could be certain, almost as if she already knew it and quietly made her way out of the study and over to the bathroom.

Whatever it was that bothered him could wait, because right now all she really wanted in this world besides a hot meal and a few answers, was a God damn shower. Come to think of it, when the hell was the last time she had done _that_?

* * *

><p>Dean returned just a few minutes later to find her gone, her plate of half decent eggs and almost burned sausage links rolling around in his hand.<p>

"Isabelle?" He calls, catching nothing of her within eyesight as he picks up on a noise just a few feet away from him.

He could hear the sound of water running nearby, finding its source to be the small bathroom on the other end of the house just down the hall, its flow suddenly stopping as it was cut off. He walked over to the door and knocked, calling her name once again as if to verify that it was actually her. No one else was in the house, not at the moment anyway, and assumed that it could be nothing else but her currently behind the door.

"Isabelle it's me, open up."

Not even two seconds later he could hear the lock turning, the door opening slightly as a puff of steam made its way through the small crack. Their visitor was hiding on the other side, her body wrapped in a large towel and hair dripping wet, her long curly locks covering much of her face, shoulders and arms.

"Yes?"

Dean suddenly felt his face blush a little, feeling a bit stupid and foolish at the moment as he saw her staring back at him, a hand clutched tightly on the knot resting just over her breastbone and keeping the fabric covering her in place.

"Uh," Dean felt his tongue tying for a second, his face flushing pink in embarrassment and obviously making her uncomfortable as she looked away and cleared her throat, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and waiting for him to speak. He quickly snaps out of it, clearing his own throat and trying to gain some small form of decency as his head tried to wrap around the reason he came looking for her in the first place. She merely gave him a look as if to tell him to get on with it already. "I was just, uh," Again he felt stupid, shaking the plate in his hand a little as if to clue him in on what exactly he needed to do. Needless to say, he was feeling like a complete dumbass at that moment. "I was just coming to tell you that I made you breakfast and uh…yeah that's it. I just made you breakfast." He tried to give her a half decent smile after stuttering through his words like an idiot.

She notices the clock on the opposite end of the hall, placed almost in the corner of the dank and dimly lit living room and sees the time to be well past breakfast time. "It's two o'clock in the afternoon." She wasn't sure what made her say it, but she figured that it could help snap him out of whatever this little funk of his was.

"Right, I just uh," Dean couldn't help but chuckle at himself as his fist met itself at his hip, the other still clutching slightly at the plate. He just finally came out with, "I'm not that great a cook."

"It's okay," she replied softly, taking in his obvious unease and simply deciding to drop the whole thing altogether. It was getting pretty old pretty fast in all honesty. "Thank you." Her voice was quiet, almost timid as she took in his relaxing posture, finally able to calm down a little as she simply continued to look at him through soft, tired eyes.

"No problem. I'll just, leave it on the table."

"Okay." She replied kindly, carefully closing the door behind her and locking it so that she could get dressed in peace and without disruption. Dean just went back to the kitchen, telling himself a million different things that just didn't make sense, and frankly, rang as clear as a bell in his book. It also had a few other things ringing, including his ears and strangely, a light bulb in his brain.

"Dude, don't even think about it," he told himself.

He simply grabbed the cold beer he had sitting on the table and gulped it down, impressing even himself at the little amount of time it actually took to empty it before he went for another.

* * *

><p>Isabelle soon made her way out of the bathroom, clothes pressed neatly against her body and hair combed through with her fingers and picked back up in a high ponytail. She certainly felt better now, if not just a bit lightheaded from the heat of the shower and lack of energy but otherwise, she was okay. She made her way over to the small table, seeing Dean patiently waiting for her as she carefully took a seat opposite him and stared down at her plate. It looked appetizing, certainly not as good as the food served at her job but certainly safe enough to eat. She carefully lifted up her fork, picked up a small bit of the now mostly cold eggs and placed it in her mouth, tasting the immense amount of salt that covered them but savoring it nonetheless. She was famished, feeling so damn hungry that she didn't even care that they tasted a little rubbery and undercooked and the sausage was a little burned along the edges and slightly raw in the middle. At this point she would eat just about anything, and decided the hell with being finicky and just picked quietly at her food so that it could last as long as possible.<p>

Dean simply watched her, trying not to creep her out with his staring and instead making himself uncomfortable, her demeanor completed unfazed and ignored entirely of him. Dean simply sat there, arms crossed on the table in front of him as she finished up her meal and placed the fork down on the plate with a gentle caress. Even her manners were spectacular, Dean having to remind himself that this was a _lady_ and that he would have to be careful around her with things he said and did. She was a guest in Bobby's house, and Dean needed to respect her even if he wasn't all too used to the idea of having manners here. He would put his comforts aside, at least for now.

"Did you enjoy it?" He asked, again attempting a bit of small talk so that their interaction didn't feel any weirder.

"Very much thank you," she replied, trying to be as polite as possible even if she still didn't have a clue about the man she was currently speaking to. He had obviously helped her, comforted her when she was afraid and confused, and was obviously now trying to make her feel welcome, even if she didn't necessarily feel like she wanted to be.

"I'm guessing you enjoyed the shower too?" Dean didn't even think about what he had just said until he let the words slip, feeling like a complete ass and wanting to punch himself in the face. _Dude, she's a _chick. _Show some respect_. Obviously he still needed the training wheels on what and on what wasn't appropriate to say. She simply ignored it.

"Yes I did actually, thank you." She replied softly again, taking a sip from the glass of water he had also placed on the table for her before setting it back down and hoping to ease the tension a little. "Along with eating, I felt like I hadn't bathed in a year either."

"Funny how you keep saying that." Dean replied, again not thinking about what he was saying exactly.

Again she picked up on it, giving him a puzzling look before deciding to drop it and focusing instead on her surroundings. She took in the look of the old house, noticing the piles upon piles of books, the stained and peeling wallpaper, the cracking paint, the lack of cleanliness found throughout the place. It was dusty, dingy looking, but also felt comfortable and homey, just as she suspected was how they liked it. She could tell off the bat that it wasn't his, not really, and started questioning even more about the man currently in front of her, watching as her eyes darted here and there and she took in every face and feature.

Her eyes then reached up to the ceiling, noticing the water stains and molding popcorn, but as her eyes traveled from outside the living room and into the study, Dean noticed her eyes locking on the ceiling there, finding the devils trap painted just above them and feeling his throat suddenly close on him. The look she held was one of awe, amazement and confusion, almost like a 'what the fuck' kind of deal as she carefully lifted herself up from the table and made her way over to the other room, her eyes not once leaving the intricate drawings on the ceiling.

"What in God's name," she whispered under her breath, studying every little symbol, spell and line that conceived of the sketch, finding it almost impossible that she could actually read what each symbol said, what each design represented, almost like she had known its meaning for it all along. But she had never once seen anything remotely close to it.

Dean didn't know what to say, noticing her brow furrowing even more as she continued staring at it. Dean was getting nervous, standing just a couple feet behind her as she made her way to the center of the room and simply planted herself there, still looking at the pentagram and symbols that decorated it. It was awe-inspiring, almost captivating, and frankly, scared the living shit out of her.

"What in the Hell." It didn't even sound like a question coming out of her mouth, but more like a simple statement, a revelation currently unfolding in her brain as she continued to stare.

"Not exactly." Dean replied, unsure of where to take the conversation from here as she snapped her head down and stared back at him, looking as if she demanded an explanation.

Dean couldn't give her one however, not one that she would believe anyway.

She simply stared at him, her eyes trailing back down to the floor as she slowly made her way back to the bed and sat down on it, her hands back on her lap as she gazed down at the floorboards. Dean felt his throat tightening, unsure of whether to prepare himself for an explosion or just another breakdown, but instead got the surprise of her asking him a question, frankly one he was already prepared for.

"_Who are you_?" She asked simply, staring down at him with confused and determined eyes in the hopes that he would answer her honestly and truthfully.

Dean didn't even know where to begin, and instead tried to ease her mind a bit by focusing on her, hoping to make her comfortable and feel safe as he made his way back over to the chair still sitting by the bed. He felt his legs fidgeting a little, spreading them apart as he flipped the chair backwards and sat down, placing his arms firmly over the back of it and settling himself.

"I know there's probably a lot to explain," he started, not really sure where he was going with this as she continued staring down at him, her look almost blank and piercing all at once. "I'm not exactly the right person to explain it to you. But I know what you've been through. I get it, if just a little."

She had no idea where this was going either, but decided to bite anyways, wondering how the hell he knew anything about her as he so claimed. "What are you talking about?" Her voice remained calm, even, but also cautious as she tried to make sense of the scene currently folding in front of her. She took a second to pull her jacket tighter around her, suddenly feeling a strange chill in the air as she folded her arms gently across her chest. She wanted answers, and Dean would be damned if he didn't give them to her.

Dean simply licked his lips before exhaling a breath, and started explaining everything he found out about her while they were in Estherville. How her friend Jennifer explained to him how hard of a life she had, and how much she endured during it all. Isabelle quietly listened as he talked, her arms falling once again in her lap as he she picked at her fingernails, not once taking her gaze off of him. He continued, confessing that he had learned about her parents and what had happened as she felt a sudden sorrow start to creep over her. She turned away, her face furrowed slightly hard as she heard all her tragedies being played out to her in such sincerity. It almost made her angry, vengeful but she chose instead not to follow it and turned her head back around to watch him.

Dean continued, hoping to gain her trust as he explained that he knew how she felt, confessing that he had lost his own mother in a tragic accident when he was only four and his father just a few years back. He explained that it wasn't easy, taking in the slumped posture of her shoulders as she stared back down at the floor, wondering why it was he was even telling her all this. Finally he asked her a question, hoping to get something out of her now that she was starting to look if not a little spaced out.

"How were you able to cope with it? With the loss of your parents."

She had to admit, she didn't see that one coming, and looked back at him to see that he was actually being sincere, as if he really was interested in getting to know how and why she was able to get over it. She didn't even know where to start, her feet twitching a little against the floor as she tried to adjust her posture a bit, her legs still dangling off the edge of the bed as she tried to get comfortable.

She had nothing really to say, not at first, so Dean continued.

"I didn't do that well, and frankly it took a while for me to get over it. Especially with my dad." He confessed, wondering now if this was solely for her benefit and not just simply for his own now. "I don't think I've ever gotten over it." He whispered, his own gaze now turning away from her as he realized his mistake, his buried secret now bubbling to the surface and plaguing his every thought and emotion. It was hard, but Dean always knew that he would have to keep himself together, for however long that took.

"I still miss my mom, even if I never actually got to meet her." Her voice was quiet, elusive, but also steady as she recalled the moments she would go to her mother's grave and just sit there, sometimes for hours as she cried and asked her to come back, knowing that it was impossible. The pattern soon became a trend as her father passed, and she never did wonder why she had never thought about it, how she never let them go, even when she knew that she would never get them back. Not in this life anyway.

"My dad died when I was 16. I didn't see it coming, but by then he had already taught me everything I needed to know. About surviving, about holding myself up, about raising myself from then on. It's like he knew it was coming."

She didn't understand half the words coming out of her mouth, but figured that they could only be the truth when half her mind wasn't even present at that moment. Her thoughts were currently wrapped elsewhere, and she found herself feeling almost defenseless. "It wasn't easy for me either," she whispered, fighting hard to keep the words in and failing miserably at it. "It was incredibly lonely, but I believed that he had moved on to a better place and that I should try to do the same." She looked up at him, studying the presence of his eyes locked on hers and wondered, maybe if she was finding closure in herself at that moment, and maybe trying to give some for himself as well. "Everybody leaves us someday. Soon it'll be ours."

She seemed adamant about that, like she knew it for a fact and had already experienced it (which she technically had) but chose instead to close it off and skip it completely. She had other things on her mind right now, and breathing a sigh of relief wasn't exactly one of them.

Dean started thinking that he was slowly but surely gaining her trust, if even just a little, and she proved that by asking him about her friend, and if she was okay. He knew the double meaning behind that, and decided the hell with being subtle.

"She took your death pretty hard. I think she still does."

Even though it had been a year, he was living proof itself that sometimes the death of a loved one never truly healed inside you, not when it was so damn close.

"She cared for you a lot. Said you were an angel. That you pretty much freed everybody, but especially her."

She felt her pride swell for a moment then, letting a smile and small laugh escape her lips as she recalled memories of their time together, taking in the happy thoughts and recollections of their relationship. She figured that she might as well confess something to Dean, since he was obviously confessing so much to her.

"She and I were more than just friends. You would have never guessed but, she and I were…we were close." She whispered, again fidgeting with her nails until she found the courage to look back at him, seeing that he wasn't the least bit judging her. "We weren't that close in the physical sense, not yet…but I felt differently about her. We both did."

She lowered her head, knowing that their relationship probably wasn't going to be happening anymore now that everything that was going on had pretty much halted it. She didn't feel ashamed, nor worried at being shunned or outcast, but noticed that Dean didn't really seem the type to do that. Dean had already suspected though, recalling that day at the diner when her friend had placed her hand on her arm as if in reassurance, and he knew. He had always known.

"You loved her." He whispered.

"I still love her." She corrected, knowing that what the two of them shared was beyond physical or mental, but spiritual and emotional. She had never once felt that about anyone, and now that she had taken a chance at it she had lost it, and she had no idea what to do with herself now. "I know the people in our town would have looked down at that but, we didn't care. It's just how we felt."

Her answer was sincere, honest, and Dean couldn't help but wonder, if he would ever one day get the chance to experience that. It seemed that his lifestyle would prevent that, and he actually found himself, feeling sorry.

She actually felt the same.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note:** Was watching the episode "The Rapture" trying to get some motivation for this story here. Hope it helps a little. Review please?


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note:** You guys are more than welcome to burn me at the stake for not updating sooner. Sorry about that. I've been very much distracted with my 07x01 story "Maybe" and now that my muse has officially flown the coop with that one I guess I can focus more on this story now. Still mostly chit chat but there will be some important parts discussed here so, enjoy my friends. :)

**Written:** 07 October

**Soundtrack:** Ain't No Grave by Johnny Cash

**Word Count:** 6200+

**Chapter 5**

Where do you even begin to describe the awkward situation that was currently unfolding right in front of them? Here they had someone who, just a few hours ago was having a total epic mental breakdown at her recollection of memories not even hers, and all of a sudden was back to normal like nothing had even happened.

Isabelle simply remained sitting on the bed, staring back blankly at Sam, Dean and Bobby as they simply stared back at her.

The air was thick with tension and nervous vibes, as if the world around them was bound to blow up at any second now and the epicenter would be from her. There was irony in that statement, considering her body _had_ already blown up once and nearly took half the damn house with it. She didn't know that though, couldn't remember as far as they knew, and secretly hoped that that was one memory that refused to resurface. They didn't know how she would react, and if her previous reaction said anything, they were bound to have more shit hit the fan if she did.

The entire group was quiet, the three men in the room looking more nervous than she actually did, her hands resting casually in her lap as her eyes darted slowly between the three of them.

Bobby kept feeling the air choke around them. Sam just sensed the anxiety. Dean smelled the frustration, and it was finally he who decided to cut the crap and get the show on the road. Dean got up from his chair where he had been perched on earlier, stretching his legs a bit as Sam and Bobby both turned their heads to look at him.

Sam was sitting the same way Dean had been, backwards in the chair with his legs resting on either side and arms perched on the back.

Bobby remained where he was since he got there, arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the far wall just beside his desk. Both men hadn't taken their eyes off her, as if afraid that she would snap or disappear if they blinked, and only Dean had the calm to actually watch her respectably. She was apprehensive, they all were, but none knew how to hide it better than she, and it was finally her who broke the ice just as Dean was about to.

He didn't even know how to start off the conversation, but she apparently had plenty to say, and had been having the words spinning in her mind for quite some time now.

"I'm gonna get back at that son of a bitch for what he did to me. What he's been doing to all the girls in the town."

Her eyes were now glued to the floor, as if hoping to burn a hole through it as her lips pursed in anger. She was feeling vengeful, enraged, and the very thought of the man who had taken her life getting away with the crime only fueled her need for revenge. She was spiteful, but knew that it would take more than just a few words to stop him. It would take action, and she only wished to give the man what he rightfully deserved. She would bring him his just desserts, his justice, and it would be _she_ personally who would haunt his very memory like the ghost he thought her to be. It would be the least of his problems, and she silently swore to an enact on it.

"It's already done."

Her head snapped up, looking straight at Dean through piercing eyes as she slowly took in his words.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's already done." Dean repeated, hoping to give her some form of closure before she did anymore damage to herself or them. He knew that those weren't her intentions, never her intention, but he had to give her closure, if just to keep her from reopening a wound that had already healed.

"I don't understand." She said quietly, her anger and confusion hiding just beneath the tip of her tongue as looked at him for explanation.

Dean wanted to tell her, confess the entire truth of what had happened in the past year and a half but just couldn't find the guts to do it. She had gone through so much, had suffered more than her share in her lifetime, and the last thing he needed was to inflict another injury on her when she still had so many to heal from. Dean would not be responsible, not for that at least, and chose instead to find some closure for his own self. Starting with a question.

"Why did he want to kill you in the first place?"

Dean felt the question inappropriate the moment it left his mouth, but at seeing her give a sigh and stare down at the floor, shoulders hunching over as she considered her answer, he figured that this would be some closure for her as well.

"I was going to stop him," she stated simply, recalling for just a moment the day she was finally going to put an end to it all. It had been the final straw for her, the same day she first met them ironically, and was now strangely enough the influence she needed to get back at him. To take back what was theirs. To finally free all the women there who lived in fear of him and his monstrosities. It was up to her, and she paid the ultimate price to get it. She had paid with her life. "After everything I had seen him doing I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't stand for it."

She shot back up, her eyes burning right through Dean's as her hidden determination came bubbling through. She had met her end, and it was only appropriate that she still wanted justice and proof that she had accomplished her final act. It was all she wanted right now. Closure was just the beginning, but knowing that she had saved them all was what she wanted the most. It was what was most important.

"I was going to tell someone. Someone who wasn't afraid so that something could be done. I wasn't going to stand for it, not anymore."

She raised her voice to match the burning in her eyes to a T, and every single one of them felt it. She was angry, but above all she was determined, unafraid, and now undisturbed. She was determined to take it all back. She may not have been a victim to fall into his web, but everyone else had been, and _that_, was what angered her most.

"Everyone had been living in fear, and it wasn't just us. The whole town did. Pretended like it wasn't actually happening, and it just got so much worse than they actually knew."

Her eyes grew slightly sad, her face dropping just a little as she stared back at the ground and then at her hands, as if hoping by some miracle that it could all just go away. She wanted it to end, and there was only so much she could think of to make sure that it did. To change things, if not for the better.

"Well you did." Dean said, his own determination and sympathy showing through as she slowly met back at his gaze.

Dean was honest, his firm façade softening a touch so as to prove to her that he felt her pain, if even just a small degree. He simply stared back at her, her face showing so much hurt, confusion and doubt that he almost thought he was looking at Cas. He had had the same face when he first started to rethink things, when Uriel had taken over his voice in opinion and when he first betrayed Anna. She was suffering. But deep down she was realizing, seeing the truth for what it really was and for how the world really worked. Even if evil had surrounded her her entire life, there was still some good in it. We just never really saw it sometimes.

She chose to try and live in that moment, her face almost hiding a smile which again reminded Dean somewhat of Cas after their conversation about missing father figures during his hangover, and Dean felt his own small smile coming out. He quickly took it back though, as he lowered his head and broke her with bad news. Even if she was technically free of the angel that took her, her life back in Estherville was far away now, and frankly, completely impossible to return to.

"You can't go back Isabelle. I'm sorry but that's not an option for you anymore."

Dean tried looking sorry, he did look sorry, and this only served to confuse her and doubt him, her face falling even more as she tried to understand what he was saying to her. She simply shook her head slightly and stared at them, first to Bobby then Sam, and back at Dean as she blinked furiously and tried hard to beg for an explanation.

"What do you mean I can't go _back_? Why the hell _not_?" Isabelle nearly shouted, her anger starting to rise in her chest as she shifted on the bed and tried deciding whether to remain seated or to get up. She chose instead to remain as she was, though her irritation clearly showed that she wouldn't be able to do so for long. "I don't understand. Why can't I go home? I have a _life_ there. I still have something, _someone_ to go back to."

She stuttered, her frustration starting to creep through as tears threatened to shed. She held them back however, not wanting to get upset regardless of her bottling emotions threatening to spill. She was pissed, but didn't want them to know that.

"You can't just keep me here."

"You're not safe there." Dean said flatly, trying to remain calm as he hoped for the chance to explain, and she would give him just that.

"Why not?"

Unfortunately, his tongue decided to tie in a knot at that moment, and his explanation died right then and there.

"Because you just," Dean felt his tongue tying up even more, and rolled his eyes in frustration at himself as he tried to come up with a lie to tell her. Anything to convince her that he meant well. It didn't come. "You just can't okay."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I can give you."

"_Why_?"

"Because!" Dean shouted, his frustration starting to get the better of him as he began to crack. He should have been able to get through this. To lie through his teeth as he had done so many times before in his life, but for some strange reason couldn't seem to do that right now. She had him pinned against a wall, and judging by the look on her face, she knew it too.

"Alright then. Fine." She said sternly, eyeing him suspiciously as Sam and Bobby simply looked back at him, both wondering if and what Dean was going to do. She had caught on rather quickly, and it only managed to fuel her aggravation even more. "If you won't tell me that at least then tell me this. What have I been doing the last year?"

"What?" Dean felt his voice and chest jump at that second, her eyes still looking as firm as ever while his brain started to fall apart. She was on to them he thought, maybe even since the very beginning, and whatever plan he had been putting together in place to hide as much from her as possible had pretty much been ruined at that moment. "The last year? What do you mean for the last year? What are you talking about?"

He didn't want to sound scared but he did, at least to those who knew him well and she apparently picked up on this as well. She was no mind reader, but she could still read people like a book, and in her eyes, Dean Winchester was far too easy to do. He hid back many pains and secrets, also many fears, but she saw them clear as day.

"Yeah. A year. I saw the newspaper."

She grabs it from behind her and tosses it to him, Dean catching it nervously between his fingers before looking back at her. His eyes told her everything, and whatever little trust she had managed to find in him quickly disappeared at that moment.

"It's 2011. Last I checked my watch said the year 2010." She answered simply, trying to cool her jets as the situation started to fall in her favor. Dean had been lying to her, and now that she had the proof she was going to extort him. She was going to get everything from him that she wanted to know, even if he wasn't willing to give it.

"So, tell me. What have I been doing for the past year and a half? Why don't I remember a God damn thing?" She huffed, her eyes going steely as she stared him down, her inner angel coming out almost full force, even though she technically wasn't carrying her anymore. She was pissed, and it only served to hide her hurt and confusion. "I've been dead the last year and all of a sudden I'm back? Shouldn't I be, I don't know, in Heaven or something?"

She sounded almost sad now, and that only brought to tear Dean even more. Unfortunately for him, Sam had already caved at seeing her desperation.

"Isabelle,"

"Sam!"

Dean shot him back a threatening look while Sam's looked sympathetic. It almost had _him_ cave, but Dean wasn't going to let it.

"_What_ Dean? She needs to know. She deserves to."

"She _can't_."

"_Why not_?"

"You _know_ why!" Dean shouted, wondering why it was that Sam was so determined to reveal everything, to shatter everything she held at peace at that point and take it all away from her. The act seemed cruel in his eyes, but to Sam, it was what she deserved.

She wanted the truth. Who were they to deny her?

Dean simply sighed in his frustration and bit down on his lip. He was stuck. Sam was wearing his conscience on his sleeve and Bobby wasn't even lending a hand, and just when she was about to stand up and shout in her own frustrations at all three of them for keeping the truth from her it all stopped. She rolled her eyes in aggravation and stood up, only to stop dead in her tracks before she could speak at the sound of rustling wind, the three men looking behind them to see none other than their angel.

Dean felt his heart leap in fear rather than relief, and only had a one second chance to look back and see her eyes bulge out in pure panic as she swiftly fell back against the wall. Her hands and back were pressed firmly against it, her nails digging into the wallpaper as her breath caught in her throat. She was panicking, not only for his sudden appearance but for his actual appearance. The one _they_ didn't _see_.

What she was seeing was beyond belief, and were it not for its beauty in nature and peaceful aura, she would have more than likely run away already.

Her legs didn't budge however, and she actually felt them shaking at that point, along with the rest of her.

"Woah, woah, woah, relax. It's okay." Dean tried assuring her, seeing the pure terror in her eyes as tears began to bubble. She looked petrified, not only from his sudden drop in but from something else, and the look she held only had him questioning the reason behind it.

He slowly stepped towards her, his hands carefully reaching out for her as her eyes remained on Castiel, the angel simply standing there unaffected as he tried to look within her. She softly shook her head in denial, her breath catching in her throat as her lips parted slightly, the fear of everything that had happened now catching up to her as she took in the sight of him.

Only she didn't know what it was exactly she was looking at.

"Isabelle look at me it's okay."

"Okay? !" She nearly shouted sarcastically, her mind going numb from the lack of oxygen reaching her brain as she fought hard to control herself.

It wasn't working though, and she felt herself on the verge of passing out before Dean grasped both his hands around hers and held onto them firmly. That got her to snap out of it, and she finally managed to draw in a few quick, deep breaths as her focus now went on him. Dean was trying to be careful, protective, and she felt a gulp lodge in her throat at that moment as her trust for the hunter came back flying at her full force.

"Where the hell did he come from? He wasn't there a second ago." She said softly, her fear, anxiety and aggravation bleeding through her voice as Dean held on.

She felt her nails digging into his skin, his hands still grasped tightly around her wrists as he tried to get her to keep looking at him and only him. Everyone else in the room was unimportant at that moment.

"Look, just relax, Cas isn't gonna hurt you." He whispered, shaking his head in reassurance as if to prove it to her.

Her breath continued hitching, only for a minute longer as she slowed her breathing and kept her eyes continuously locked on his. Dean was keeping her together, trying hard to at least, and she felt her muscles relaxing as she finally allowed her stiff and trembling legs to slowly give way and allow her to fall gracefully to the floor. Dean slowly went down with her, keeping his gaze stuck with hers as she slowly stared back at Castiel, the angel simply looking at her curiously as if she were some exquisite puzzle.

It made her uncomfortable, but she chose at that moment to ignore it.

"Cas." She whispered, looking back at the angel and then at Dean, before going back to him as he furrowed his brow in his own confusion. Deep down she felt as if she knew him, only she didn't know how. It confused her beyond comprehension, but she knew that she needn't be afraid. He was good, and deep down, she felt that she had already known that. "As in…_Castiel?_"

The angel simply nodded slowly, his face holding no trace of emotion as he answered her question. Hers still held uncertainty however, and she didn't even know where to begin with it.

"_What, are you_?"

Her question sounded like a trance, a quiet confession of confusion and hesitation, and it caused the atmosphere in the room to actually shift. Dean looked back at Cas and then at her, taking in the angels confused expression along with that of his brothers and Bobby's. Dean couldn't even begin to explain the feeling currently bubbling in his chest, and chose instead to calmly get her to explain herself.

She still looked trance, her soft eyes refusing to leave the angels as she took in everything about him. He was heavenly, a mix of gold, silver, white and deep red right in the middle, its radiation warm and luminescent against her soul. She couldn't understand this feeling, but she knew, deep down, she needn't be afraid.

"You're not what they think, are you? You're something else." She whispered, her fear seemingly disappearing as she took him in. It was so bright, and she actually found herself wanting to fall into it, as if its embrace alone would be enough to heal all her sorrows. "I can see it underneath."

All of them stopped short at those words, her eyes blinking softly as she continued staring. He was different, something within her told her that, and she felt that this being in particular was something special. She couldn't put her finger on why, but deep down, she simply just knew.

"Wait a minute, are you saying─" Dean started to ask, unsure of where to even begin with his question as he stared her down. Her gaze refused to meet his however, her eyes remaining focused on Cas and Cas alone. He was simply a distraction, and it was one she couldn't get away from. "You know what Cas really is? You can see him?"

"Don't you?" She asked innocently, looking back at him finally and assuming that he already had the answer for her. He looked far from it however, and it was only then and there that she figured it out. Dean couldn't see it, and it appeared to her, that _none_ of them could. "You can't, can you?"

The room stood completely still at that moment, the air almost choking them all as Dean fell into his thoughts along with Sam and Bobby. None of them knew where to take this now, and if the situation wasn't already strange enough, it was only bound to get worse.

Out of them all, it was Castiel who broke it all for them.

"It would appear that she can, perceive my true form." He stated simply, his head falling almost in shame and embarrassment before going back to hers and Deans. Of all the people he had encountered he had figured that it would be Dean who could see him for what he really was, and unexpectedly, it had been the young woman sitting before him instead.

Castiel didn't know what to think of this right now, and after another moments thought, deemed it unimportant to even concern himself with. It was clear that she was special, and there would be no denying that.

"And what exactly is it that I'm perceiving?" She asked, her strong will rising up again at that very second as she continued staring him down.

Her gaze was hard, almost deadpan like, and she couldn't help but wonder, what else it was in this world that she didn't know. What she didn't understand. What she'd never seen. Or heard. Or felt. It was all feeling so different now, and it actually scared her. The world seemed so different now, and she knew that after this, there was no turning back.

Sam and Bobby looked at each other and then stared back at Cas, wondering what it was the angel would say. He didn't take his eyes off her, and returned his own blankly hard gaze back at her. She wanted the truth from him, but he knew that he needn't give it. She already had it, and chose to give her that instead.

"I think you already know."

His answer was just as deadpan as her question, and she didn't even seem to regard that fact anymore. She had already known, deep down she did, and she figured that with her finally getting some of the questions she deserved answered, it was only a matter of time before the others came trailing in.

She nodded plainly at Dean and then back at Cas, slowly pushing her legs underneath her as she picked herself back up with Dean's help. Her eyes never left the angels as she did, the hunter carefully guiding her to a chair before he sat her down and made his way back to his own.

She continued simply staring at him, her eyes focusing solely on Castiel as her hands sat nervously on her lap. Her world had completely changed within a matter of seconds, everything she knew falling apart at that very instant and mocking her for her ignorance.

This was something she couldn't begin to ignore, and began to wonder herself, what it was she was in for from here on in.

* * *

><p>After the tension had died down a bit and everyone began settling in their skin again Bobby decided to pick up conversation, feeling the awkwardness in the room to be just a little too much and frankly, now unwanted.<p>

"So Feathers. Find out anything useful?"

If any one of them could raise an eyebrow high right now, Isabelle was getting the gold medal for it.

"No. Not really." Castiel answered simply, sounding almost disappointed as he said so. Every one of them picked up on it, but Dean especially. He knew the double meaning behind that answer, but those were issues for another day.

"Feathers?" Isabelle asked somewhat cutely and sarcastically, mixed in with a bit of confusion as well as humor. She found the use of the term _entertaining_ to say the least, but as for the reason behind it, she hadn't a clue. "What kind of a nickname is 'Feathers'?"

"He's an angel sweetheart. I don't think we need to tell you that." Bobby answered for her, not even softening the blow and setting the record straight, straight up. His specialty.

She simply cocked her head slightly and raised an eyebrow, looking at Bobby as if he just grown three heads or something. Bobby would have found it amusing, had he not thought it annoying at first.

"That would explain the light show I guess," she said softly, heaving out a massive sigh before pressing her fingers into her eye sockets.

She was starting to get a headache from looking at Cas the entire time, as well as the mounting frustration now pounding against her skull. She was bound to be in for a hell of a ride from here on in.

"You honestly expect me to believe that crap?" She blurted out bluntly but soft like, her hand falling back on her lap as she gave Bobby her signature 'are you crazy dude' look. She had given it to him at least five times in the last hour or so, and Bobby found it actually starting to annoy him more so than her endless questions.

"It's the truth princess." He said back just as bluntly but humorless, not appreciating the slight attitude she was trailing behind her words. She was starting to remind him almost of Adam, the half sibling of the hunters beside him looking just about the same way when he was revived by the angels. _Not the best memory to get stuck in right now._ "And you seem to have accepted it."

"Is that what you see when you look at Cas?" Dean asked curiously, grabbing a beer from the fridge and handing one to Sam and Bobby and even over to Cas, who graciously declined it.

Dean merely shrugged his shoulders and placed it on the table next to him, leaving it there just in case he found need for it later. Too bad he didn't think to offer it to her. She may not have been a fan of alcohol, but she really felt like she could use some right about now.

"Lights." She said simply, staring straight at Dean as he took in a gulp of his beer. "Lots and _lots_ of lights. Especially that huge red one burning in the middle of his chest right there," she poked at her own chest as if to prove her own point. "The guy's a freakin' light show."

Cas' brow furrowed along with his slightly pouted lips, looking almost insulted at her description of his true form. It did get him to look down at himself though, his eyes (or rather Jimmy's) staring straight at the Grace currently housed within in. Even after having it for all these months, it still felt completely alien to him, and it was only now that he was starting to feel somewhat detached from it. _She just had to put that idea in his head_.

"Yeah well," Dean started, trying to find the right words to say as he took in Cas' expression. Clearly he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable in his own skin (or again, rather Jimmy's) and if he didn't know any better, Dean would think that Cas was feeling a little overexposed. "He really is an angel, and I'll be the first to say that I'm actually a little jealous that you can even see him for what he is."

She didn't even want to dignify that with a response, but her curiosity from it got the better of her.

"_Sure_. Bigfoot's real too. So is the tooth fairy." She said sarcastically, her annoyance clearly showing as she tried wrapping her head around it all at that second. She wasn't the least bit amused, and frankly, neither were any of them.

The least Dean could do was lighten the mood a little. God knew they needed it.

"Tooth fairy yes, big foot…not so much."

Her brow furrowed in confusion as if to tell him 'uh, what the actual _fuck'_, and Dean actually found himself smiling at her expression. Give it to a girl who can see _angels_ but can't believe in the supernatural to put a smile on his face.

"Okay then." She clucked her tongue and mouthed quietly, turning to look away from them as she studied their expressions, all four of them giving the same 'it's all real' scenario. That was a nice thought to have. Every monster and ghost she had ever read or heard about as a kid was apparently pure fact than fiction, and she found herself starting to question her sanity. The only thought running through her head at that moment was simply: _I'm surrounded by crazy people._

"Look, I know this is really confusing to understand and I promise we will explain everything to you but right now, you have to trust us." Dean said casually, as if hinting to her that she didn't have a choice in the matter and frankly, weren't gonna give her one.

"Look guy, I don't even know who you are." She said back almost sharply, her headache from earlier starting to cause a dull throb to form beside her right temple. "You told me that you were some fed looking into the weird deaths of some supposed haunted house, and now, you're telling me that every monster I've ever read about other than _sasquatch_ is actually real? Give me a break here."

_Heck, your brother could sure as heck pass for one. Why don't you give him the job._

He could practically _hear_ her thoughts, since they were all pretty much thinking the same thing.

"Yeah well, they are, and as for you getting to know who we really are." Dean said, using his fingers to form quotations at his last words. "I'm Dean," he placed a hand on his chest, before signaling over to the others in the room. "This is my brother Sam, Winchester. Guy in the cap is Bobby and of course, you already know Cas."

Sam acknowledged her with a wave, Bobby with a nod and Cas with simply a stare. _Not much of a meet and greet type apparently._

"You said at the diner that your names were Agents Tyler and Perry." She pointed out, still not buying the whole 'monsters are real' thing.

"Those were fake. We were, undercover so to speak." Dean said flatly, a smile tugging at his lips.

"You know that's a crime right?" And if she slowly didn't sound so much like Gabriel at the moment, Dean would have thought her question funny instead of stupid.

"Yes," he nodded his head heavily, knowing the consequences for impersonating law enforcement was huge and frankly, so not what they needed right now. "But it's kind of necessary for our line of work."

"Clearly," she said blankly, her hands still pressed tightly between her knees as she rested them in her lap. "Who the heck uses the name of an actor as an alias?"

If Dean wasn't already feeling a little stupid, that sure got him to think twice. Apparently she had already known the truth way back at the diner, but graciously, hadn't said a word.

"How do I know you're not lying to me now?"

"No point in that now is there?" Bobby answered for her, the silence in the room now increasing tenfold as she took in his honesty. Clearly these guys were involved in something _way_ above her minimum wage pay grade, and she wasn't sure that she actually wanted to know what it was exactly anymore.

"Okay. Say I do believe you. What's going on? What aren't you telling me? What exactly is _it_ that you do?"

Dean looked like he didn't want to answer, but chose instead to start from the beginning, explaining to her how they were hunters and how they began in the trade and how it pretty much controlled their lives.

She listened intently, staring at him as if to catch him in a lie and found absolutely none of it. She couldn't believe what she was hearing as he spoke, describing to her about demons and angels and all the monsters in between that they hunted. Every time he got close to something he didn't want to talk about however, he quickly shut down and let it be, going on to the next subject or creature they would encounter.

She simply listened, refusing to interrupt or even say a word as he continued. She thought she'd have plenty to say afterwards.

When he finally did finish however, she found that she was the one now to have nothing. Her tongue was tied, along with her already numbing brain.

* * *

><p>"So you're telling me, that these weird dreams I keep having of battles, and blood and light and people in suits. The ones I can't make heads or tails of, is all <em>real<em>. They're not just dreams?" She asked carefully, finding herself pacing and staring at them as one fist remained firmly perched against her hip.

"Dreams?" Sam asked, wondering what it was she was talking about when they weren't even discussing the subject. "You're having _dreams_?"

"Yeah, like really weird dreams. Only they don't feel like them."

"How do you mean?" Dean asked, hinting to her to elaborate more so as to build a clearer picture for them. Clearly these were her memories, only they weren't actually hers, and Dean found himself getting nervous along with all of them.

"I don't know. They just seem…" She tried finding the right words to say, and can only come up with one. "Familiar, I guess. Like they aren't just hallucinations but a recollection. Like they really happened and they're not just figments of my imagination, if that even makes sense." She continued pacing around the room, trying to organize all her thoughts as she thought about what to say next. "Although…shoot they have to be, I mean, who the hell's ever heard of seeing people with black eyes and people with light emanating from their eyes and mouth slaughtering each other? It's like a good versus evil thing. I just…I don't know. It doesn't make any sense."

She didn't know it, but she had hit the nail right on the head.

"You mean, they feel like a memory?" Sam asked carefully, trying to seem as sympathetic with her as possible as she fought her way through the fog of doubt and uncertainty.

"It certainly seems real enough. But it _can't_ be real. There's just no way. Angels _may_ exist but demons don't." She said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to convince herself of that idea. "It's not possible." She whispered, and then repeated the words back to herself. "It's just not possible."

The hunters had explained everything to her already, insisted to her that demons were in fact among them, but she still thought in her mind that it simply _**wasn't**__,_ _possible_ and tried to keep some form of normalcy in that mentality.

Castiel looked at Dean, who simply stared back at her as she focused on her feet, her thumb bitten deep between her teeth as she tried to ignore all the feelings currently welling up inside her. She just couldn't believe it, and she downright refused to, no matter how much logic told her otherwise.

They tossed that idea back in her face, simply.

"Can't have one without the other sweetheart." Bobby said softly, taking in her expression of fear and panic shadowed by doubt. They had practically been around this their entire lives, and now it was her turn to be dragged into their daily routine of messes.

Bless the poor girls crushed spirit.

"If you can have angels and Heaven, what makes you think there can't be demons and Hell?"

She didn't need to say anything, already knowing the truth deep down inside her gut and haunting her to her very core. She wasn't ready for this, not by a long shot, and just when she thought things couldn't get any more complicated she knew that they were just getting started. She swallowed in slight discomfort at the fact that the hunter made sense.

You can't have good without evil, and when you had already been at the hands of both sides and each one came crashing down on you, you could only hope that by the time you fell and met your ultimate demise, you fell with the right one.

_Oh dear God_.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note:** Reviews are love so go and give em'. As always, all you guys are awesome. ;D


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Note: **Okay, so the only reason WHY I've had two updates and a new story post in the last 24 hours, well more like 18 really (miracle in my mind duh) is because of this: I'm not sleeping. This now makes…39 hours that I've been awake, and only one was spent actually sleeping. Yeah, all I can say is that Dean has taken over my brain with his stupid remarks and funny attempts at sarcasm. That is all.

**Written:** 25 October

**Soundtrack:** Paradise by Coldplay

**Word Count:** 2300+

**Chapter 6**

Miserable was an understatement. She felt downright defeated, and it only served to build her anger against them and everyone else even more. She was angry, had every right to be really, and the only thing she could think of to do was leave and make her own way back to Estherville, by almost whatever means necessary. All she wanted was to go back home, to assure it with her own eyes that she had gotten her revenge, her justice, and also to see her again.

The last time she had seen those icy blue eyes felt like a lifetime ago, and even if she couldn't ultimately be back by her side any longer, the last thing she wanted at least was to say goodbye to her, a real goodbye.

Dean and Bobby had now been giving her the run around, she wasn't stupid not to see that shit. They were hiding something from her, something they thought she wasn't yet ready to hear, and this only served to increase the hurt she was already feeling deep inside. All she wanted was an answer, a simple explanation, and they didn't want to give it to her.

She was starting to feel desperate, and she was starting to feel afraid.

After just a few hours she was back asleep again, the headache from before coming back with a vengeance and leaving her with an ear splitting migraine. They had offered her medicine and even Castiel asked if she would like his help, but she refused both and just asked for some time alone. She claimed simply to be tired and nothing else, and that she was sure the pain would go away on its own with just a little time. A lie she knew, but a necessary one. She didn't want their help, and she didn't believe in their trust.

Within half an hour she was out, quickly falling into a deep unconsciousness while Castiel stayed behind to watch over her.

She should have felt uncomfortable about the whole thing but didn't seem to care at the moment. She had enough things on her mind and the fact that an angel was literally watching over her wasn't one of them right now. All she wanted was some peace, and it was not what she would get.

She started dreaming, the images almost framed around her like a watery memory as she walked, no, stood there and watched the scenes beginning to play out in her mind.

_There was a seal, something she thought looked very much similar to what the old man Bobby Singer had painted above his ceiling but instead of paint, it was made of wax. The symbols inside it were very much intricate, looking almost like they had been drawn with precision and tool before it was even thought out._

_She couldn't make out some of the words, not any of them really, but as she continued to look she could see the hands making the signs and symbols and recognized them as her own. She was drawing them, placing them down on the concrete floor with style and grace and an almost fiery determination. She couldn't make them out, but she could feel that something was coming. Almost as if they told her._

_She then heard her voice, darker and deeper than she ever heard it before, holding a lighted match in her hand and speaking, almost singing the words in such a beautifully intricate language that she had never once had heard pass her ears._

_The words were finished soon enough, her hand tossing out the match as it came in contact with the oil that lay around the seal and immediately shot up to surrounded her in flames. The only thought she could pick up on at that moment, was that there was no turning back._

On the outside she was starting to grow a bit restless, Castiel noticing from his spot on the couch from across the living room and laying eyes on her, her back facing him.

_No sooner are the words spoken does she feel something burning in her chest, a long insentient power laying deep within her body and drawing out in a raging heavenly light. She knows what it is, doesn't know how to explain it but she does, the blazing glow growing out from her chest a pure and unaffected power source. It is burning, and it is only now that she is feeling its intensity._

She begins whimpering, the images flashing before her starting to cause her distress and Castiel immediately walks over to her. He starts to notice beads of sweat forming on her brow, the intensity of the heat starting to consume her physical body and take control of her.

_The burning is downright unbearable now and the light it is coming from keeps growing._

She starts to dig her head into the pillow as Castiel sits down beside her, placing a gentle hand on her bare shoulder and immediately drawing it back as he feels the immense heat radiating from her skin.

Castiel starts to panic, and quickly calls out to Dean who hears the angels shouts from the panic room.

_The light continues to intensify, engulfing her body in its brightness as it continues to burn her in pure, surreal pain. The light begins to explode from her chest, drowning her in its power and fiery breath as it begins to circle her._

Dean quickly reaches the study and sees Castiel standing over her, trying carefully to keep her down against the bed as she begins thrashing vaguely under his grasp. Her breaths are coming out in hollow gasps, almost as if she is having trouble drawing them in and reaching her lungs as her eyes remain shut, racing incredibly fast beneath her lids.

Her arms that were once beside her face are now unknowingly clutching and pushing at Castiel's chest, reaching out to him as the images in her brain intensify and start to mold together and break her apart. She is searching for something, something she cannot indentify but knows is in him as she continues to drown in the memories. She is drawn to that spot, and she isn't sure why.

Dean takes over beside her and grips her wrists in his hands, feeling the intense fever now engulfing her body as it begins to redden and swelter her already bronze skin.

"Jesus."

"Dean." Castiel pleads, unsure what to make of her behavior as she continues trying to push and tug away at him, as if unsure whether she should be running or if she should be staying. Either way she's fighting, only she doesn't know what.

She continues tossing her head from side to side as she sinks further and further into her dream, begging and pleading for it to stop as it continues to grow and grow.

Dean tries waking her up, nearly shouting the words in command but falling on deaf ears as she continues gasping harsh and begins screaming, her hands now clutching hard at Castiel's forearms and causing her nails to sink in. She is screaming in agony now, and neither one of them can tell yet why.

_The light she sees is blinding now along with the pain, hearing herself speaking unintelligible words as she fights back her tears and screams of anguish. The deed is almost done, and she can feel it with every breath she takes and every word she mouths. Something big is happening, and she can feel it all the way down to her now hollow bones._

_She hears her final words, the phrase 'Father forgive me' bleeding through her chapped lips as she falls, her tears finally streaking down her face as she is lifted high within the air, her arms hanging stiffly on her sides and back arching, her body suddenly exploding as she gives one final, agonizingly painful scream. It causes her throat to almost burst and tear, but it is too late as her entire being is diminished._

Isabelle snaps her eyes wide open as she inhales, her back arching high off the bed as she fights to keep herself in one complete piece before allowing herself to let go. The pain building deep within her is intense, electrifying, and the moment she falls back down she quickly throws herself up, trying her hardest to take in a breath as she fights to control her now heavily mounting fear.

She wants to scream, but her voice falters and her eyes tell Dean and Castiel everything they need to know. They are blank in their stare, but the panic they hold seizes her in its grasp and leaves her feeling paralyzed.

Dean fiercely wraps his arms around her, trying to calm her down as she struggles to unlock her trembling limbs and stop her shaking body. She finally manages to let out a noise, a mix between a pained yelp and a scream as she curls within herself and tries to block them away, her hands buried deep within her chest as she clutches them over her heart in desperation.

Her head is bent down towards her stomach, the top pressed firmly against his chest as she fights herself to breathe, to take in any lungful of air that she can as her body starts to drop in temperature and turn white and ice cold.

She begins crying and pleading, her fear still quietly consuming her entire mind as her body continues convulsing. She'd screaming, pained noises escaping her throat as she tries to yell and breathe all at the same time. Her chest is aching, back sweating, eyes leaking, and she starts to beg for it all to stop, to simply just stop, pleading for it with all her might. Please just make it stop.

She begins shivering in her own tight embrace, Deans arms squeezing even tighter around her as she continues fighting against an enemy that they cannot see.

He tries desperately coaxing her, telling her that everything will be alright and that she has nothing to be afraid of.

She doesn't look to be hearing him though, and continues trying to take in shuddering, painful breaths that cramp all the way down to her stomach.

Castiel sees her continuing to hold tightly onto her chest, her fists clenched directly over her heart as if trying to keep something from getting out. To keep whatever is inside from escaping. For a split second he watches her, and before he even realizes it sees a glint of gold piercing through her eyes before they return to their normal brown shade.

_Elizael_.

The angel has remained within her, simply as a piece now lodged and trapped within the vessel, trying to manifest itself back into the young woman who carried her and is now disconnecting her, repressing her. She doesn't even know it, but he can see it right through.

Minutes pass, and she eventually calms down as he body slumps against Deans, her head now resting limply against his shoulder as he continues holding onto her, whispering quiet words of reassurance even if they are blind. She continues whispering herself however, words that Dean can barely understand as one hand catches his arm and holds it there, leaving a tight grip against his bicep and just over the scarred handprint still burned there. The other remains clutched over her chest, refusing to part from there as if it would make her fall apart.

Dean tries to listen and catches a few phrases, her words now being huffed out as her breaths continue being drawn in harsh and shutter like. She is fighting hard to control herself, but she can't tell which is which anymore.

"Don't let them…don't let them take it." She whispers, continuing to hold onto him desperately and painfully as her grip remains on his and refuses to let go.

Dean isn't sure what to say, and cautiously looks down at her as she continues to take in breaths, her body now starting to cover itself in goose bumps as her skin start to freeze under the layers below and quietly thaw as her heat begins to return.

Dean has never seen this before, and doesn't even know where to begin to explain it.

"Take what Isabelle? Don't let who take what?"

"The angels," She says, a gulp following her words as she draws another heavy breath, her eyes beginning to fall shut as she feels her body winding down, her grasp on his arm starting to slack. "They want it. They want what she gave to him." She brings this out as a small whimper, and then simply as a soft whisper. "They want what she gave to Castiel."

She says this final part so softly that he barely hears it, but at this point she is so exhausted both in mind and soul that she quickly shuts her eyes and falls back asleep pressed against Deans chest. She's all but quiet now, as her most recent mental episode finally lets her go.

Dean doesn't know what to say and looks over at Castiel behind him, staring at him with such confused and worried intensity that he doesn't know what to do. His hand subconsciously reaches up to his chest as he takes in her blank face and looks down at it, his own hand now tightening its grip around the dress shirt as he sees through to his grace.

His expression is one of sorrow, and he can't help but feel sorry for her sufferings as if they are all on him. He never wanted this in the first place, and it would seem that she is now paying the price for them both.

Dean now understands what she says, her warning to them both, and he can't help but feel his slacking grip around her shoulders tightening once more. He knows, beyond a doubt he knows, the angels are after the grace his sister gave up and destroyed herself to give him, and Dean can't help but think that there will be a fight erupting coming to get it.

Cas' new grace is now a target, and the one person who can stop it at all from happening is now oblivious to the world.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note:** Like I said, absolutely no sleep whatsoever. Also, we're at our halfway point. *glee* Reviews are in season, so go and give one baby just so you can flaunt it. I really need to get some sleep now and stop listening to this Lady Gaga crap. Although I will admit that it's helping me with my want for sleep. Na na na na na. No I'm not crazy. Yes I am tired. Duh. T.T zzz


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Note: **I think I had promised an update sooner last time but, yeah, that obviously didn't happen since it's been two and half months since I've even touched this story. My bad guys. Never make a promise you know you can never keep. :P

**Written:** 05 November

**Soundtrack:** None

**Word Count:** 4100+

**Chapter 7**

The morning barely comes without a single whisper, and crawling into consciousness is the last thing anyone in the home even expects of their visitor. She does manage to do so however, and even with the sunrise warming at her face, it brings very little comfort after what the previous day has brought her.

It's still fresh in her memory, still raised above her thoughts, and may just inevitably take her down unless she can find the strength to fight it. She is a fighter, has always been taught to be one, but she is not a soldier or a miracle worker or even someone special. She's simply just a person, a normal human being, who just so happened to be the vessel of a freakin' true life angel of the Lord. A heavenly being, and apparently just as much the soldier that she is not.

_Her life is so in ruin now_…

* * *

><p>She just stares down at her coffee as she sits hunched over on the table. She's pale, a hoodie wrapped around her torso and a look on her face that makes it seem like she hasn't slept in a week. She's dazed, unable to look straight up at anything else, and truth be told, she doesn't even want to. The men in the room simply stare at her, wondering if or when she will say something, but they're not holding their breaths. She's having a hard time, can't seem to focus, and they can't really blame her. She's been through Hell, both to and back, and it's more than just a little to deal with. It's a lot, and one she really isn't ready for.<p>

Dean is the first to get up from his spot on the couch and walk over to her, wondering if maybe he should try and start some small talk just to pull her out of her trance. It may work, perhaps, but he isn't getting his hopes up. The cup has been sitting in her hand for at least half an hour, and she has yet to even look away from it, or even drink it. She's simply just stuck, and she may be for a while.

"Isabelle?"

She doesn't even acknowledge him, and chooses to cower in herself even further just as he takes the seat across from her. She's scared, more than just a little tense, but it's anxiety that's written all over face. She simply wants an answer, but it's one she isn't gonna get, only because she won't believe it anyway. She's in denial, and it didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"Isabelle can you look at me?"

She eventually does, but only for a moment as she starts to sway her legs and drag her bare feet across the floor. She just wants to feel something, and pray to God that it's actually real.

"Do you remember what you saw? Anything at all?"

Her grip on the cup only tightens, but eventually she's able to draw a breath and release it, closing her eyes and then opening them again as the images came flooding back. They're vivid, transparent, and so real life that she can barely describe it. It's like looking into a mirror, hoping to all things holy that it is real, or not real in this case. She can't help but feel denial, but the fact of the matter is that she can't deny it. Not by a long shot. She knows what she saw, and there was no ignoring it.

"Fire. I remember fire." She says simply, her fingers now tapping on the glass as she contemplates whether to do anything with it or not. The substance is cold now, and she highly doubts it's even edible at this point. "I just remember there being a lot of heat. Like it was coming from me. From my chest. I felt like I was dying, and I couldn't stop it. Almost like I didn't want to."

It's all darkness after that, but she doesn't even voice this, simply because she doesn't even know what it is. It still frightens her half to death, will threaten her with nightmares when she doesn't care to look, and she doubts that if she ever tried to push them away she would even be able to escape in the first place. It's now all a part of her, and for this she must accept.

Dean already knows what it is she saw, and chooses not to voice it either.

* * *

><p>They eventually get some breakfast into her, and manage to get her calm enough to actually start talking some more. Dean continues with light conversation, hoping to ease her in, and eventually gets her to start spilling her guts on the whole strapped to an angel thing. It's nothing like Jimmy's, far worse it would seem, and her words alone in describing the experience have both brothers feeling grateful that there's a choice in the matter. Having an angel inside you didn't sound like much fun, period, and they didn't plan on testing out that theory. Not any time soon.<p>

"So, is it kind of like being strapped to a comet?" Dean asks through a mouthful of eggs, trying to sound somewhat sarcastic so at to lighten the mood a little. He's actually doing a pretty good job of it, and tries to keep it going.

"I wish it were that nice." She scoffed humorously, shoving down her own fork on the plate and gracefully taking a bite, chewing on the eggs slowly before swallowing them down.

Dean will admit that the girl has got manners, but that's what you get when you're used to shoving food down your mouth in a hurry. Manners get thrown out the window, and when you actually see them, well, it's just weird.

"You wish it were that 'nice'? How could that be _nice_? How is _that_ even possible?"

"You asked me and I'm telling you. Being strapped to Elizael wasn't anything like being strapped to a comet. It's like being strapped to a planet circling the universe at a gazillion light years a second only to cause its own vortex and slip you into a black hole. And for the record, it's not pleasant."

He can't imagine that being pleasant either, even with her current sarcasm, and can only imagine a one word response. His dropped jaw look pretty much tells her the rest. "Damn."

"Yeah."

"Man I do not envy you. I would never have said yes."

"I didn't, I was dead remember."

Admittedly, he'd forgotten about that. "Right."

He just goes back to finishing his breakfast, while she in return does the same.

…

To take her mind off things for a while, Bobby offers to take her into town and buy her some essentials. Knowing that the girl cannot stick around with just one pair of clothes on and unsure of how long she'll be around, it was better to just get things out of the way and taken care of. She happily agrees and Sam offers to go with them, should anything go down and she can be protected. She doesn't deem it necessary, but with all this talk of demons and angels and monsters that apparently are all _real_, they aren't willing to take any chances and now neither is she. Dean stays behind with Castiel, since the angel apparently has another target on his back too, and the hunters come to an agreement that whatever happens, they stay alive. Period. _That's only just a given anyway_.

The moment she steps outside it's different, the wind blowing through her hair bringing whispers to her ears and voices through her mind. It's like a soft approach, a total jet lag, and she finds that it actually makes her shiver. It's like the four walls that she was practically encased in can feel her leave, and it's an almost ominous feeling.

She turns to look around at that moment, looking past the yard out towards the field as she spots a man in a suit simply standing there, no more than a hundred yards away. He's simply staring at her, a blanking look, and if she didn't know any better she'd think that he was trying to read her.

"Hey Isabelle. Are you coming?" Sam calls out to her, grabbing her attention for just a second enough to turn back and see that the figure is now gone.

It's like a mystery, a hidden medium, and the way it makes her question feels so much like a maze. She simply pushes the thought to the back of her mind, and ignores the whole thing as she heads to the truck. That doesn't mean though, that the gut feeling in her stomach goes away either.

* * *

><p>She remains quiet the entire trip into town and back.<p>

Her thoughts are a jumbled mess, emotions everywhere, and her day is spent mostly browsing as she tries to direct her attention to other things. Her life is changing, the direction unknown, and if it wasn't for her memories she would probably go insane. She tries on a few pieces, doesn't even really care to notice them, and simply only takes what she gets handed and leaves out the store with them.

The ride back is just as quiet, dinner that night is too, but the feeling in her gut has refused to go away since the moment she stepped outside. The dining room has been organized, the table brought out, and even some of the mess has been cleared at the excuse of 'there's a woman in the house'. Bobby's expense of course. She doesn't think it necessary, but the gesture is still a nice one.

Bobby gets tired of the quiet though, can barely stand the clattering of utensils against glass and of nothing else, and decides to start conversation so as to get someone to talk. It's been weird silence all day, and he just wants some chatter.

"So Isabelle? Is there a reason you can't seem to use your voice since this morning? Something on your mind?"

She turns to acknowledge the old hunter, and simply shakes her head as her fork remains in midair and her elbows stay off the table. She barely lets them touch there, and it's another thing Dean finds weird in the term of manners. She may have a lot on her mind right now, yet she still remembers to wash her hands, and set the table and even pour the food onto their plates. It's not just a woman thing, it's just a her thing.

"No sir. It's nothing. Everything is fine."

Bobby really wants to believe her, they all do honestly, but he has trouble doing so and so in turn so do they. Even though the expression on her face gives him nothing, he still knows that she's hiding, and this he doesn't feel like prying. Whatever it is, it can't be good, and it's bound to bite them in the ass come soon. But still she has her reasons, and this he will not push.

It doesn't even take a moment for that inevitable nagging feeling to hit either, before a gush of wind disrupts their evening. Castiel is right behind her, looking disheveled and almost flustered, like he used all his might just to haul his ass here. They don't even have to ask, before he tells them what has happened, and what is they've feared.

"We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Dean asks, just as Castiel stops mid word and looks like he's frozen still. He can sense their presence, and knows that he's already too late.

The windows suddenly shatter, throwing glass and wood and iron throughout the room as wind begins to gust. It's surging through the house, tossing things and breaking them as the power is increased. It's like a hurricane, one barreled straight on top of them, and combines with it the horrors of every other natural disaster that it can gather.

The hunters duck down below, Castiel shielding over Isabelle just as she covers her own head and face, and not another word is spoken before Bobby asks what's happening; what the hell is going on and why his house is now tornado central. Castiel just looks toward him, notices the girl below now move her head and look at him too, and gives him what he fears. The angels have now found her, have tracked her straight to them, and are now coming to retrieve her. By force if necessary. Apparently they want something, something that she hides, but he isn't sure just what it is yet. She can blame it on her dreams, on the visions of her past, but still they give her nothing and thus is left to wonder. She has nothing of value for them, nothing that they want, at least not what she knows of.

Bobby doesn't need any more explanation, ushering them into the panic room and forcing her inside first. It's already been warded, angel proof throughout the walls, and Castiel doesn't need to see it to know he can't get in. He can feel all the magic, knows the spells that hold it, and he only feel grateful that it actually keeps them safe. The room can hold out demons, and now his brethren too.

They slam the door behind them, but not before Castiel explains when Isabelle asks what's going on. She wants an explanation, if simply just an answer, and he informs that it's not safe but that they have been watching. It suddenly then dawns on her, the man in the field, and she can't believe her stupidity. _Why the hell hadn't she said anything_.

"What? What is it?"

Dean just simply asks her, as her face drops to the floor. She can't believe she didn't see it, even though she'd felt it, and they were now gonna pay the price.

"The man in the suit." She says, looking over at them and taking in their looks. She had already known, and yet, had not said a word. "The man in the suit I saw in the field this morning. He was there one second and then gone the next. I didn't think anything of it. I thought I was just seeing things."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Dean nearly shouts as she tries to shed anxiety, her fear now controlling her and with that edging them.

"An angel. They found her." Castiel answers, before giving her a pleading look and locking up the door. He will stand outside to guard them, to keep them all at bay, and when the sounds begin to scream and lights begin to flash they know that it's a war.

Castiel is fighting, keeping them away, but one angel against them all does not stand a chance. It doesn't even last long, before the lights all disappear and the battle comes to close.

Everything dies down now; the wind, the rain and even all the chaos, and all three men along with she hesitantly step out. They see no sign of Castiel, have left no trace of anything, and it's only certain to them now that one thing is blatantly clear. They were unable to get her, and so they took him instead.

Now they have a prisoner, and he will be their leverage.

* * *

><p>Sam and Dean know it's a trap, it's pretty freakin' obvious, and along with Bobby and other hunters they try to figure out where it is they'll find him and what is they'll do. Cas is now a captive, a pawn being used against them, and the hunters have what the angels want but refuse to let it go. She of course says not a word, and leaves them to discuss it amongst themselves. They all huddle in the dining room, just outside the kitchen, while she stays far away in the living room. She only wants to be alone, and her request has now been granted.<p>

…

She's twiddling her thumbs when her phone goes off, the screen giving her a pending message and opening it behind their backs. She simply leans over, sitting on the sofa arm, and looking back behind her as she slides right off the couch. She knows the number clearly, recognizes it as the angels, and knows this isn't good. It can't be him though, she knows this, because quite frankly the hunters have told her that he can't even text, and so this is a red flag. It's also just her first clue.

The message reads that he needs to meet her, a when and where and how in the words, and if that doesn't give her enough information that this is clearly just a trap, the request to come alone is enough to seal the deal. She knows that it's a trick, a lure to get her there, but she is now the cause and thus she must be the one to fix it. Enough have died already, more than she can count, and she will not add another to this list.

She doesn't even think long about it, and sneaks out into the night.

* * *

><p>It only takes about 10 seconds for them to notice that she's gone, but it's more than enough time for her to leave and it infuriates the hell out of them. She's obviously been contacted, and has gone to meet them up, and so it means that they have a new problem on their hands.<p>

Bobby goes outside, sees his truck is gone, and by the time that he returns and informs of them of its absence Sam is already using his computer to track her down. He uses the phone, locks into her signal, but the reception is very distorted and doesn't give them very much. Dean remains on the land lines, informing the hunter he's just spoken to to keep an eye out, and pass the word along.

Sam tries the GPS instead, sees that it is off, and uses their program and connections to make it active so that they can pin point her location. The action requires a passcode however, her phone apparently blocked, and it's one they don't even have or even get access too. No doubt a greater power is behind it. Sam can think of another however, and manages to get a better lead instead. She's recently used a map, punching in a location just some time before, and Sam and Dean are relieved to see that it is only 25 minutes away. It's also in the middle of nowhere, which gives another plus. They quickly grab their things, and swiftly head on out.

* * *

><p>She finds it fairly fast enough, more than just too easily, and sees that the entire complex is an abandoned row of storage houses the moment that she gets there. The place is just one creepy freak show, but it cannot push her back.<p>

She walks out the truck and right up to the front door, slowly going in and calling Castiel's name. It's dark, the entire inside barely visible as she shuffles through the floor, and the moment that the door behind her closes the lights begin to flicker. The bulbs begin to turn on, each one one by one, and just as suddenly as it was dark the room begins to fill, part of the place drowning in bright and nearly almost blinding her.

There she sees him in the shadows, the archangel standing tall and she finds it surprising that she can feel a burning rage unfurl from deep within her. She stays at her position, watches as he just stands there too, and she finally finds her courage and asks him where Castiel is. He simply only looks at her, and replies that he's being taken care of. She doesn't like his tone, and so decides to egg him on instead.

_She _must_ be crazy right now._

"If you want to negotiate I want to see him. Or you won't get what you want."

She tells him firmly and all but rude, proving him her dominance and that of what she holds. She's a fighter, not a soldier, but that title may have to change tonight.

Raphael doesn't even take a second to think about it, and with a smile on his face and a snap of his fingers, the rest of the lights turn on, and reveal the angel chained on the wall to her left, a ring of holy fire igniting in a circle around him. She recognizes the seal, can see the pentagram built in the metal behind him, and knows off the bat from knowledge that it's the same they used with Dean, the night he tortured Alistair. She isn't even sure why she knows this, but it _is_ something that she knows.

There are bruises on his face, blood flowing from his head, and more crimson dripping down his chin and out his nose to hit the floor. It's clear that he's been beaten, and she has no doubt as to just by whom. Castiel is still conscious however, and by the effort of his breathing she can tell that he's in pain. She looks to him in horror and then to Raphael, but only just in anger.

"Why?"

"Castiel can be foolish. When he refused to tell us how to retrieve your little parting gift we, had to come up with another…more _persuasive_, solution."

She doesn't know what to say, isn't sure how to act, and still doesn't know what they want from her. But she isn't willing to let them suspect that, and so goes on with the show. She's more than sure that there are others, and that they're just here lurking in the dark.

"Your grace is extremely powerful and very rare." Raphael muses, begin to walk beside her and closing in the gap. "The fact that you gave it to a mere soldier and somehow enchanted it to stay within him, to actually allow him the control, well, I have to admit that I'm impressed. You actually managed to keep it hidden, and without any way of it being able to be released or destroyed or retrieved from him. It's…it's just impressive."

He circles her, tracks her every move as she does his, and both look at the other eye to eye. His contact is piercing, but hers is just as furious, and it's almost like she's channeling her inner angel. She may not still believe it, but it's all that she can pray for.

"For you to cage it inside of him so well, you must really want it to stay there. Don't you?"

Again she is confused, but again chooses not to show it. She simply only presses, and keeps on with her glare.

"I do know one thing however." Raphael answers poignantly, lifting a finger in the air and gracing at her presence. This one holds a secret, this he's more than certain, and it's one that maybe even she doesn't know.

"You had to have hidden the rest somewhere sister. There is no possible way that Castiel here," He waves a hands towards the angel, before joining it back with the other. "Is able to possess all of that grace on his own. What you gave was merely a portion of that and that my dear, is the true question."

She feels his power growing, but refuses to back down. She knows he's hiding something, and knows he's not a fool. She's more than just aware of that, but continues to just pull him. To go with the show. She needs to keep on stalling, and so she will remain.

"So, can I count on you to tell me where you stashed it, or do I need to be a bit more…insistent?"

"Elizael don't." Cas quickly says but Raphael cuts him off, lifting his hand and squeezing, and causing his throat to close. He's gagging, being forced to swallow blood and drowning in himself. Raphael is merciless, and this is just a taste.

"Don't!" She shouts, revealing her fear for that one second before burying it down below, finding her fury once again and throwing it towards him. He's a monster, a nonbeliever, and a hypocrisy of what he stands for. This she will not tolerate, and these are hers alone. "Don't. If you want it then I have some conditions that you will need to abide to. If you refuse, then I will take it. And you will have nothing to retrieve."

Raphael simply gazes her, and follows on her lead. She in turn just tags along, hoping to stall long enough until Dean and Sam arrive. It's gonna be a bloodbath, and she's more than sure at this point, that it'll be her blood caking the walls when this whole thing is through.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note: **This Is the part where you go review now. :P


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors End Note: **I'm finding it easier to write when my mind is distracted with more than just one story, so we're back to this one again already. And if my luck holds out, I may just finish it by the end of the month. _Maybe_…lol. ;)

**Written:** 22 January

**Soundtrack(s):** Whispers in the Dark by Skillet, Breathe into Me by RED

**Word Count:** 3200+

**Chapter 8**

Sam, Dean and Bobby had only one thing to say: this girl was either really really brave, or just really really _stupid_. The fact that she was going up against angels, and a freakin' _archangel_ for that matter, was just all _kinds_ of **suicidal**, and the last thing they wanted was another repeat of Cas' first encounter with the guy. For the chick to be left as nothing but just a pile of bits and pieces that only God could have the power to put back together was not on the agenda, and so they had to work about it fast. There were only so many times you could put Humpty Dumpty back together again, and quite frankly, this was more than likely her last and only chance to actually live her life again. The fact that she was risking it to get back to Cas was, well, it was too damn much like a _dumb_-**ass** Winchester.

* * *

><p>She just stands her ground, peering straight into his eyes as if trying to read his every thought as he continues circling her. He holds a blade in his hand now, pricking the tip softly against the pad of his forefinger as he contemplates what it is he'll do to her. She isn't frightened, at least does not appear to be, and she only goes to show this when she hitches at the sleeve of her jacket and brings out her own sword, the weapon sliding straight into her own hand.<p>

She had come prepared, even if it seemed like she had never intended to. Raphael finds that this actually surprises him, considering he already knows her secret. This is not the one he wants, merely just a vessel, and it's one that seems to missing something. That doesn't mean that he can't take it out of her.

"I have a question for you child," he muses, fondling the blade just a little more against his finger before snapping his eyes straight back at her.

She feels her body shivering, her spine tingling, her throat closing and skin sweating as she looks upon his gaze. He knows already, can see it in her heart, and this she knows now brings her downfall. She's nervous, can feel the doubt now show on her face, but still she only stands and grasps the sword on tighter.

"What do think happens to an angel who is banished by a banishing sigil but is also trapped in a ring of holy fire?"

Castiel's face pales, hers falling, and she doesn't have the courage to even ask him as Raphael moves the blade from his finger to his palm, slowly cutting through it and letting the blood drip through. It makes her queasy, upsets her stomach as images of such practices flow through her mind, and she finds her stance now faltering as he steps to the far back wall and slides his hand over, the drawing of a sigil being painted in red. She gulps softly, can feel the ominous intention in his action as he pulls his hand back, and looks straight back at her as she tries to keep herself together.

She knows the answer to that question, knows that two imposing forces can't be clashed for they would cancel and fall apart. The bigger problem is that Castiel is in the middle of that, which means that now only will he get the full brunt of such action, but he will be destroyed by it. Raphael is forcing her hand, and she is finding that she may need to fold to it.

"Do you know the answer?"

She says nothing at all, and simply continues to stand there as the grip around the sword in her hand tightens. She's praying that someone will come to help her, because in all honestly, this was way above what she was capable of doing, and too much for her to handle. Raphael was toying with her, and she was on the losing side.

"Now I was never quite the expert on torture. That was more, _Zachariah's_ field. But live long enough in the battle and you tend to pick up on a few new things. Things you learn that…could likely help you in the future."

She feels her small knees shaking, the air in her lungs stinging, the water in her eyes threatening to fall. She was outsmarted and outmatched, this was of course a given from the start, but still she couldn't understand how it was possible for something supposedly so pure could be so opposite of what she expected. Angels were supposed to be holy, were supposed to be protectors and guardians, but all she saw here and now were a bunch of greedy and conniving beings. Few were what they stood for, were actually loyal and sacred and divine like what she had portrayed them to be. They were nothing like what she expected, except for one. The one and only exception. Castiel. He was what she thought the angels stood for, and to have him be lost, would be a true and infinite tragedy.

"You're a monster."

"I'm an angel child. We're hardly what it is said in the good book. You learn to accept that."

The sad thing was, she already had.

* * *

><p>The brothers and Bobby arrived the warehouse right then and there, only to find that they had a welcome party waiting for them. Angels stood to and fro before them, swords at the ready as they exited the car, and each one had a face on that said they were willing to take them down with simply just a thought. This obviously, wasn't good on their part, but then again, when was fighting with angels ever easy.<p>

* * *

><p>"You can't do this. You couldn't possibly. You're an angel. You stand for something good!"<p>

"We stand for something that is broken. Something that we must fix and by any means necessary. I don't have a choice child. None of us do."

"You can't believe that." The look on her face grows from frustrated and unconvinced, to almost sad and despaired at the look of his own. The angel truly had given up, and it would seem that had done so, a long time ago. "You can't. Can you?"

Raphael is now at a dilemma of his own, but not of an intrinsic one. It's simply just her attitude, the way she holds herself, and he finds that it is almost too good to be true. Even after everything, she finds that there's still some hope. Something out there, that tells her it can be regained.

"It's amazing. How a human with a life like yours can still find so much faith in the world when it has granted you almost none. You think it makes you strong, but all it does is make you foolish." She needs to learn otherwise, if only just to finally see what it is they do. What so many of them do now. Simply because, there is nothing else to see anymore, other than the road ahead. "Please. Try to understand."

Only another moment passes, before she gives her answer.

"I will never." She snarls, and at his surprise finds her fury opening and her patience tested. Raphael is the fool in her eyes, the one in need of a moral compass, and if he weren't already surprised at her sudden change in attitude he can at least say he is with her next course of action.

Another sword enters her palm, this time from her left, and she holds both weapons tightly as she focuses on her task. Her cover may be blown, her strength nothing in comparison to his, but at the very least she can prove something, and that is that she's willing to go down fighting to prove him wrong.

She's prepared to go down fighting, even if her death is inevitable.

* * *

><p>The hunters fight down each one, every angel lunging straight at them and swinging for a hit, only to get one straight back in return. The hunters keep on fighting, because heaven knows they're so close to goal in which they want to reach. Their angel is inside, and with it, their one and only chance to finally do something about Raphael.<p>

* * *

><p>"You sicken me Raphael. Your belief that God would want this. That he would want what you have started and for all the causalities it has caused to mean something. To all be for His name and in His glory. Well I have something to tell you. You're wrong. And when he does return, I'm more than certain that you will be the first one he punishes."<p>

She doesn't know where it comes from, but she suddenly finds herself lunging at him and he in turn takes defense. Their swords clash, his held tight in both his hands while hers crisscross to shield her. It's at her face, barely just an inch away, and as he moves to make the final strike she turns, pulling her swords apart and slashing down to drive one straight into his back. He is an angel however, can move much faster than she, and he dodges it with barely just a thought as his sudden disappearance makes her stumble and her appears behind her. She already knows this, expects this move of him almost instantly, and turns around to block again as his own weapon finds its way to her chest. She still keeps dodging, knows that he is far much stronger and well experienced and in a rank that far exceeds her novelty. She doesn't stand a chance, yet she keeps on trying as if she does.

Again their swords meet up, Raphael using all his skill to drive it into her while she uses hers to catch his own. He wants her dead, but also wants to have his fun, and it doesn't take a genius to know that he isn't even really trying. He could kill her in a heartbeat, and he's only saving the moment so that he can actually take her down in the one way he wants. In front of all their eyes, and that includes the Winchesters.

Again she dodges as he strikes forward, and again she finds herself arms and arms with him.

"Do you know how excruciating the pain is? To have your essence stuck in that position? To be at the mercy of two opposing forces? It's absolutely agonizing. The dread you feel when you know it's coming. I want you to feel it."

With barely a second thought he lifts a hand and pushes her back, finding her body skid across the floor as it slams hard against the wall. She's lost one of her swords, can see it laying there several feet away as she slowly tries to lift her head. Her brain is pounding, her shoulders aching, her back burning. She is at the mercy of this monster, and even through this she keeps on fighting.

"I already know that very few things can kill an angel. Holy fire. Angel swords. And then, there's this. Torture. The thing you consider justice. Perform it well enough and you can _diminish_ the light inside. The grace within him that he holds. The grace that's found within every angel."

"So you have done your homework."

"No. I just know someone who used to think exactly like you."

Again, she doesn't know where this courage comes from, but she finds herself again lunging at him, and this time going for the kill. But still he keeps her down, and only plans to humor her.

"You honestly think you have the power to destroy one of us? Any one of us?"

"I don't need power. I've got something better. And it's clearly something you don't have."

She swings, again stopped by his block, and it's at this moment that she latches on, hand held firmly at his wrist as she twists and kicks her leg behind both his own, knocking him backwards and causing him to lose his weapon. She lunges for it, grabs it just as he turns to retrieve her own fallen one, and flips on her back the precise second that he tries to drive the sword again into her chest.

She knows why it's there he wants to drive it, knows the power she hides inside deep within her ribcage, and it's on this she focuses on as she lifts up her feet and forces them into his stomach, effectively flipping him over. She finds it almost incredible, to think that she's actually holding her own, but even she knows that luck can quickly run out when the chances against you are slim to none. She doesn't take her chances, and just continues to stall.

To her own surprise, she finds him slowly standing, a hand on his knee to lift him to his feet and the other clutching tight onto his sword. This game is getting old, the fun no longer there now that she's shown him that she can actually do something, and it's time for him to take this moment and really just end it.

He takes a step forward towards her, walking away from the sigil behind him but still within close enough range to use it. He isn't playing games now, and this he wants her to know. _Completely_.

"Enough of this. I know that she hides in you. She has to be there. And I know that an angel of her stature can't be trapped by holy fire. She's practically made of it as an angel of the flame."

"What's your point douchebag."

"My point is that I've grown tired. Give me the grace. Now."

"Forget it. I'd rather die than let you have it. It doesn't belong to you."

"And it doesn't belong to him. I will not ask again. Give it to me now."

"Why don't you want him to have something that she gave? Because it makes him a threat now? A roadblock in your plans? Well I've got news for you buddy. Too fucking bad. In the famous words of us normal folk down here on the ground, get the Hell over it."

She was angry now, drawing in her inner fight as she continued to hold her ground against him. She was maybe foolish, could feel her fingers trembling as she held onto her sword, but still refused to move as Castiel behind her continued to hold on.

Raphael knew of one last thing, and he would use it now to take her down. If there was anything he knew about crushing a spirit, it was that all it took was for one thing to break it. One little memory. One little factor. And he would find her own.

"You think you're protected by her, but you're not. I do know one weakness that even she can't surpass. One that humans as special as you, and angels as loyal as she, hold so dearly. Love."

And the moment she heard those words come out of his mouth, her face immediately dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and the fury that she held was now being replaced by fear. She knew that sinister grin, and he was about to use it on her.

* * *

><p>Sam, Dean and Bobby finally manage to take down the last angel, and quickly head over to the warehouse to get inside. They can only hope that they're not already too late.<p>

* * *

><p>"You wouldn't. You're insane. You leave her out of this!"<p>

"I can't do that. You've forced my hand."

"Well I'll force something else."

"That's funny, considering you're just an empty vessel."

Before she even has a chance to ask she feels her body lift, another angel from the shadows clasping at her throat and pinning her to the opposite wall. She's now lost both her swords, gasping out for breath as the hand around her starts to squeeze. She's losing her vision, can feel the darkness creeping at the edges as the blood in her mouth starts to drip slowly down her chin. Maybe this wasn't the brightest idea, and she knows that there wasn't enough time.

She simply sits there, her body pinned back hard and quick as she continues grasping on the hands that try to kill her. She's done for, can feel it in her soul as it begins to depart. She knows that she has lost them, could only stand her ground, and if her final act was just in vain to keep them all alive, well then, she can die knowing that she at least gave it a try.

The angel reaches for her, his strength lifting her several feet into the air, but the moment that his hand is mere inches from her face he's stopped, a voice ringing in her head and asking her to listen. She focuses, can hear the jingling of the bells and the harmony that they give. Someone else is calling to her, asking her forgiveness, but also for her help with simply just a word. All she has to do is say it, and she will set her free.

_Yes_.

The voice begs her, asking if she's sure, and telling her that once this happens that there is no going back. There is no returning to her home or even to her life and that she will pass through the gates of Heaven without even a way back. This is her final offer, and she must now be sure.

Isabelle doesn't even need to think twice about it, before she shouts it through the air.

**_YES!_**

Her screams now fill with light, her eyes and mouth now burning through, as the voice within tells her thank you and that she will be God now. She only wants her peace for her, and she will grant it now.

Her body explodes in a wave of heavenly fire, the skin erupting in violent glow and brimstone power as the angel entrapping her pulls himself back and screams himself at the power she's giving. This one is a special one, and it would seem, that she has now brought company.

The entire room explodes in light, and with it, comes out an enemy.

The pull their hands away, see the figure standing there, and no without a doubt that this time she is real. This one is not a figment, but only one of truth. The angel by her side has been welcomed, and through this, they now must fight for real.

"No." The angel says, backing far away as Raphael takes his own stand. "It can't be."

This is unexpected, but it is now reality. Elizael is there now, and she more than displeased. She is now, _infuriated_.

"Oh yeah. It is."

Her voice is hard as ever, and it only serves to show them what it is they stand against. Raphael now stands alone, the other angels fleeing. She will make this a real battle, and all because he asked for it. Raphael, will now get the battle he so rightfully deserves, and from the one, who can give it to him.

"Hello again, _brother_."

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note:** Nothing much to say except review. Thank yous. 8P


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